Miru Koto nai
by Sakura Hanamoto
Summary: Hyuuga Hinata has always had it hard in her family, but her handicap just makes it worse, but now, her curse has become a gift, and she isn't alone in it, and she plans on showing the world how strong she really is. NaruHina. Formerly T Rated.
1. Himitsu

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 1: Himitsu

An eight year old Hyuuga Hinata stood by the gates of the Hyuuga compound waiting. She was waiting for the chuunin who was supposed to escort her to the Academy. She silently hoped it would be Kurenai; the woman was so kind and understanding. Today was the final day of her first year at the Academy. It was also the day they would be testing to see who would move on to the second year and who would be staying behind.

The guard next to the gate kept a watchful eye on the girl but remained silent. The only sound he made was the soft sounds of breathing. Hinata looked forward, her eyes unmoving from the spot they were directed at. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she listened carefully. The foot falls were too soft to by Kurenai's, based on the way the feet shuffled against the ground, the footwear was most likely too large for the wearer. Suddenly the sound stopped.

"Huh?" A voice made a small noise of curiosity. The footsteps started up again, but they were now approaching her. Hinata made no move to do anything. The person was right in front of her now, she could tell because she could hear the person breathing rather loudly. "Hi, what's your name?" The person asked.

It was a boy, she realized that much, and possibly around her age based on the pitch.

"Etou…Hyuuga Hinata," she replied nervously. She heard a slightly rustle of clothing, she figured the boy was shifting.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage!" He exclaimed happily. The guard shifted.

"Leave Hinata-sama alone you damn brat!" The sound of something striking flesh came to Hinata's ears, and Naruto yelped.

"That is enough Hyuuga-san." Hinata cocked her head in the direction of the new comer. It was Kurenai. Kurenai helped Naruto to his feet. "Are you okay?" She asked him. Hinata heard no answer to the question.

"Are you ready to go Hinata-sama?" Kurenai asked the girl.

"Yes," Hinata stepped away from the gates. Kurenai placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and led her away, Naruto trailing behind them.

XxXxXxX

The final test was a written one, Hinata stared at her desk. 'What should I do?' She thought nervously. The paper in front of her didn't even have her name written on it. Hinata shifted in her seat and twitted her fingers. Everyone seemed to be writing already, answering with little hesitation. 'What should I do?' She repeated to herself. Hinata felt light-headed. She rested her head on the cool wood of the desk and it passed for a moment. She lifted her head. Another wave of dizziness struck her and she felt herself falling.

"Oi! Hyuuga! Sensei help!" Hinata's neighbor called for their teacher.

XxXxXxX

Hinata awoke to the strong scent of a sterile room. 'The nurse's office?' There was a slight noise beside her.

"I'm glad to see you're awake Hinata," a male voice spoke.

"Iruka-sensei?" She questioned.

"Yep, you passed out in the middle of the test. Are you feeling okay?" He asked her.

"My head hurts," she replied. Her ears seemed to be throbbing as well. And her nose itched like there was no tomorrow. She scratched it subconsciously.

"I'll go ask the nurse for some aspirin," Hinata heard Iruka stand and walk away.

'What's happening to me? Why is this happening?' She thought. Hinata was afraid, afraid of many things, especially what she was hiding from her family. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if her father found out. Iruka soon returned and placed a pill in her hand. She popped it into her mouth and swallowed.

"You can go ahead and rest here for the rest of the day," Iruka stood and gave her a pat on the head.

"But what about the test?"

"You can take it tomorrow," he told her. "So, you don't have to worry about it right now."

"Okay then," Hinata lay back down and closed her eyes to sleep some more.

XxXxXxX

When Hinata returned home, she was quickly summoned to her father's study. She already knew what he wanted, and she was scared of what would happen. She slid the door open and entered. She bowed to her father and sat.

"Hinata, today was your final exam for this year correct?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked his eldest daughter.

"Yes father," she replied softly.

"And I expect you were placed at the top of you class," Hiashi stated. Hinata was horror-struck; she couldn't very well tell him what had happened. After all, Hyuuga's don't faint.

"E-etou, I haven't t-taken the t-t-test yet," Hinata managed to stutter out. She half expected her father to explode in rage but, to her surprise, he did not.

"Why is that?" He asked her in a calm voice, a voice that was too calm.

"I-I fainted d-during the test…" She trailed off. "I-Iruka-sensei said I-I c-c-could take it tomorrow." Hinata told him.

"I see, then tomorrow, I expect you to have your results, and as a Hyuuga, you must have the highest scores.

"Yes father," Hiashi dismissed the girl and she left quickly.

XxXxXxX

Nearly four years since that day, Hinata and her classmates had grown in many ways. Hinata herself had not changed a whole lot in personality, still shy and soft-spoken. She now found herself wandering the streets of Konoha. In need of a momentary reprieve, she had left the Hyuuga compound two hours before.

'Father hates me.' She thought. 'I'm so weak, I can't even defend myself.' She brought her arms up to wrap around her midsection in an attempt to comfort herself.

"UZUMAKI!" The sound of shouting brought her out of her thoughts and back to the present. Three sets of footsteps were coming towards her. One much lighter than the other two. The owner of the lighter steps was also laughing.

"Can't catch me!" The boy taunted. Hinata felt her face grow warm.

'Naruto-kun,' she thought, unable to move from where she stood. Suddenly, Naruto crashed into her. He'd been too busy watching the pair of chuunin chasing him that he hadn't seen Hinata. They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

"Ow, oh, Hinata, are you okay?" The cheerful boy asked. He disentangled himself from her and stood, the chuunin now forgotten.

"Y-yes," Hinata replied. She pushed herself up and brushed dirt from her jacket.

"Get back here Naruto!" The sound of the yelling chuunin caught their attention.

"Crap, forgot about them," Naruto sighed and grabbed Hinata's hand. "Follow me." He pulled her along.

'Naruto-kun is holding my hand,' Hinata stumbled along behind the boy. Suddenly, Naruto halted and Hinata ran into his back. He pulled her to her feet without a thought to it.

"Dead end," Naruto murmured. Looking back at Hinata he felt a pang of guilt for getting her involved. But really, they couldn't punish her either way; she was, after all, the heiress to the Hyuuga clan. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he jumped up and managed to grab onto the ledge of the brick wall. He pulled them up and jumped to the ground on the other side. Hinata had felt the rush of air both times and was astounded by Naruto's physical strength. He was surprisingly strong for a boy of his age and background. Naruto grabbed her by the hand again and they kept on running.

"Naruto-kun, where are we going?" Hinata managed to ask when the scents surrounding her changed. It went from the smell of people and industry, to the lush smell of trees, grass, and spring rain.

"My favorite hiding spot, only Iruka-sensei knows where it is," he replied. Eventually, he slowed to a walk but still held on to Hinata's hand. Naruto lead her on for what seemed like a while. The temperature dropped and she knew that the sun had set. She shivered slightly, wishing that she had her jacket. "Are you cold?" Naruto asked her.

"No," Hinata answered. "How much farther?" She asked.

"Just a little more," Naruto told her. The warmth of the sun was gone now and the sound of crickets was beginning. After another ten minutes, they came to a stop. "We're here Hinata-chan." Naruto announced. Hinata couldn't hold in her small gasp at his choice of honorific. Naruto released her hand and she took a hesitant step forward. She could hear the sound of water gently flowing nearby.

"What is this place?" She asked him.

"It's sort of like my own little garden out here," Naruto replied. He averted his eyes from her and a light blush stained his cheeks.

"You like gardening?"

"Yeah, I've got a bunch of plants back at my apartment," the blonde boy told her. Naruto placed his hands on Hinata's shoulders and steered her towards the center of the clearing. "Here, sit down." He gave her a gentle push down and she sat. Naruto looked around and began selecting a few flowers. "Iruka-sensei helps me out when he has time; he also got me the flowers to plant since most of the flower shops won't let me in." Naruto explained as he zipped about picking flowers. He gathered it all into a bouquet and pushed it into Hinata's hands. "You can have these, if you want." He told her.

"Thank you," Hinata sniffed the bouquet. "It smells beautiful Naruto-kun."

"Thanks, I know you can't see so I thought it'd be nice, you can't see the flowers, but can at least smell them," he explained.

"How did you know?" Hinata asked, slightly panicked.

"I'm not as stupid as most people think Hinata-chan, I noticed that your eyes barely move and you never blink," Naruto told her. "Also, all of your tests are oral; I've heard Iruka-sensei giving them to you after class when I have detention." He said.

"You won't tell anyone will you?"

"If you don't want me to," the blonde told her. He reached out and placed a hand on hers. "I promise."

"Thank you Naruto-kun," Hinata smiled.

"We should head back, it's pretty late now." Naruto stood up and helped Hinata up. They began their walk back to the village in silence. Hinata held the bouquet in one arm, while her other hand gripped Naruto's.

'I think that this is the happiest day of my life so far.' Hinata thought. "N-Naruto-kun, what kind of flowers are these?" She asked.

"All kinds," Naruto carefully pulled one from the bouquet and brought it up to her nose and let her smell it. He gave her the name while she memorized the scent. He did this with all the flowers.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata began.

"What is it?"

"Um, why are you being so kind to me?" She asked.

"I admire you Hinata-chan," he replied. "Even though you have a handicap, you keep trying your best to get better and stronger, to be a good ninja. There have been times when I wanted to give up. But then I remember my goal and I see you trying so hard to prove your strength to others and I decide to keep on going." Naruto admitted. He was somewhat glad that Hinata couldn't see him because she would have seen his face glow bright red like a Christmas tree.

But Naruto was not blind and saw clearly that Hinata was also blushing a luminescent red. The fell silent again and continued on. Hinata abruptly halted, but then gripped the back of Naruto's shirt.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Hinata's head turned left and right, sniffing something out. Naruto tried as well, and the smell of an unknown person hit him. He instinctively shoved Hinata to the ground as a barrage of shuriken came barreling from the trees. He shielded Hinata's body with her own as well. Once it was over, he jumped up and pulled Hinata with him, the crushed bouquet forgotten on the ground.

XxXxXxX

Umino Iruka looked around the clearing, it was empty. It had been the last place he'd checked for Naruto. The boy had somehow managed to break into the ANBU offices and put superglue on all of the ANBU captain's seats. That hadn't ended well. Naruto had been running from the scene while pursued by Izumo and Kotetsu. The pair had lost him when the blonde had turned into an alley, apparently dragging Hinata with him. Now he stood in the garden he had helped Naruto to create for the past two years. When he found out that the boy enjoyed taking care of plants, he had set out to help Naruto out. This little garden was the end result of it. He noted that some flowers had been picked recently and there was a pair of slight indentations in the grass from where two children had been sitting.

"Well, now I know they were here at one point. Now to just find them," Iruka took off from the garden, tracking the pair of ninja in training.

XxXxXxX

"We have to get back to the village Hinata-chan, whoever did that won't try with so many people around," Naruto pulled Hinata along. She tripped over a tree root. Naruto picked her up and carried her, realizing that he'd move faster this way. He leapt into a tree and pushed off from the tree branch to the next one.

"Give me the Hyuuga brat!" Naruto glanced back to see a ninja dressed in unfamiliar clothing bearing down on them. Once the man was close enough, Naruto could clearly see his forehead protector.

"K-Kumo-nin!"

**"They're after Hinata-chan's eyes!" **A deep voice rumbled in Naruto's mind.

'Who the hell are you?!' Naruto demanded silently.

**"No time for explanations, don't let him take Hinata-chan,"** Naruto nodded and picked up his pace. Suddenly, Naruto was tackled in mid leap and hit the ground, cradling Hinata in his arms to protect her. She tumbled out of his arms.

"Hinata-chan, run, don't let him get you!" Naruto cried as the Kumo-nin descended upon him and kicked him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. Hinata stood frozen, her head pounding painfully.

'No, not now!' She clutched her head and fell to her knees. The Kumo-nin approached the helpless girl.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto screamed and felt power flow through him. His body reacted before his mind could prevent it. Naruto leapt onto the Kumi-nin, wrapping his legs around the man's waist, and one arm about his neck, strangling him. His other arm braced the one choking the man. Hinata was now fully collapsed on the ground, still gripping her head, it felt like it was splitting apart. The Kumo-nin flailed, trying to reach the small orange and yellow bundle latched onto his back. Finally, the Kumo-nin's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell forward. Naruto untangled himself from the unconscious man and approached Hinata.

He was about to speak with a familiar person came crashing through the trees. "Naruto! You are in so much trouble!" Iruka yelled. But he quickly calmed when he saw Hinata crying in agony.

"What's happening to her Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked as he pulled Hinata into a hug. Iruka came forward and placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"It's okay Hinata, it'll be okay," Iruka whispered comforting words into her ear. Finally, the girl stopped crying and raised her head from where it was buried in Naruto's chest.

"I-Iruka-sensei?" She asked him uncertainly.

"What's wrong Hinata?"

"I-I can see you…" she trailed off. Iruka's eyes widened. Hinata reached up and traced the scar across his nose. "Like, just an outline in chakra, no color." Hinata explained. Suddenly, her eyes closed and she fainted.

"H-Hinata-chan!" Naruto shook her gently but she didn't wake up. Iruka smiled slightly at the boy.

'It seems that he's got a soft spot for Hinata.' He thought. Suddenly a squad of ANBU appeared. Naruto gulped, recognizing one of them as a captain he'd pranked. They were about o move towards Naruto when Iruka stopped them.

"Wait," he stood between the four ANBU and Naruto.

"What is the meaning of this?" The captain asked. His face was hidden behind a mask.

"Don't harm Naruto, he just saved Hinata," Iruka explained. "That Kumo-nin tried to take Hinata, Naruto protected her at risk of his own life." One of the ANBU inspected the still form of the Kumo-nin.

"He is still alive, but unconscious." The ANBU reported.

"Bring him as well, we're going to speak to Hokage-sama," the captain said. Iruka nodded. Naruto stood, holding Hinata in his arms. The much larger group trudged back to the village, the ANBU captain in the lead, the three other squad members carrying the comatose Kumo-nin. Iruka brought up the rear, a hand placed comfortingly on Naruto's shoulder as he carried Hinata in his arms.

XxXxXxX

Sarutobi was surprised to hear a knock on his office door so late. The door opened and an ANBU captain entered along with Iruka, Naruto, and Hinata.

"Sir, we have come to report that a Kumo-nin infiltrated the village and attempted to kidnap Hyuuga Hinata," he said.

"I see that the attempt failed, good work," Sarutobi said, dismissing the captain.

"Sir, we were not the ones to save her, Uzumaki Naruto was with her during the time of the attack and protected her. The Kumo-nin has been taken to Ibiki for questioning." Sarutobi glanced at Naruto, who had sat down in a nearby sofa, with a sleeping Hinata leaning against him.

"Thank you, I want a written report on my desk in two days, and please bring Hyuuga Hiashi," Sarutobi requested.

"Yes sir," The captain left. Sarutobi looked over at Iruka.

"Is there something you wanted to say Iruka?" Sarutobi asked the man.

"Yes, before Hinata passed out; she told me that she could see me. But it was just an outline of me, I don't know what she meant by that. She's been blind her whole life, and now she can see to a certain extent, it's quite incredible." Iruka told Sarutobi.

"Before that, her head was really hurting her thought," Naruto added.

"I see, it's a good think I've summoned her father then," Sarutobi sighed. As he finished this sentence, Hiashi burst through the door.

"Where's Hinata?" He demanded.

"Calm yourself Hiashi, Hinata's fine, just sleeping." Sarutobi indicated the sofa where Hinata leaned against Naruto. The boy in question had fallen asleep as well in that short amount of time. "Please, sit down Hiashi." Sarutobi gestured towards one of the chairs in front of his desk. Hiashi sat a scowl on his face, mostly due to the fact that Naruto and Hinata looked oddly comfortable in that position.

"What do you need to say?" Hiashi asked.

"First of all, are you aware of Hinata's handicap?" Sarutobi asked.

"What?" Hiashi looked like he was ready to attack.

"Hinata is blind Hyuuga-sama," Iruka told the older man.

"She's blind? How?" Hiashi looked over at his daughter.

"She's been blind, all her life. You can't really tell because her eyes look like any other Hyuuga's," Iruka told him. "At the end of her first year at the Academy, she started staying later to get extra help from me. I also gave her oral tests during this time because she couldn't read the questions." Iruka told him.

"How could I not have noticed, I just thought she wasn't applying herself in her training," Hiashi sighed. "All this time I've been so hard on her to master Jyuuken when she couldn't even see."

"Now that you know, there have been some interesting developments. Tonight, she told Iruka-sensei that she could see an outline of his body, nothing detailed or colored. I don't know whether this will be permanent, or something she can turn on and off," Sarutobi said. "But for now, take her home and let her rest."

"Was Uzumaki with her?"

"Yes, he saved her, and I believe that they may become close friends sometime in the future," Sarutobi stated.

"Is if possible to have them placed on the same team prior to graduation?" Hiashi asked.

"Perhaps, we'll have to see if Naruto can raise his grades first," Iruka answered.

"Very well, good night Hokage-sama, Umino-san," Hiashi picked Hinata up from her place, and to his surprise received a small amount of resistance on Naruto's part. He had grabbed Hinata's hand in his sleep and didn't want to let go. Iruka pulled their hands apart gently and Hiashi left.

"I'll take Naruto home Hokage-sama, good night," Iruka lifted the boy into his arms.

"Good night Iruka," Sarutobi lit his pipe and swiveled around to look out the windows. "It seems that things are starting to change for the better." He murmured to himself. "Yes, most definitely."

**My third Naruto fic, but my first to feature the original characters from teh story as the main character. This idea just popped into my head early last week and I just had to write it down, so here it is, the first chapter. Also, I wanted to make sure it wasn't an overly used concept, from what I found, it isn't, so that's good. please read and review!**


	2. Atarashii Chikara, Atarashii Inochi

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 2: Atarashii no Chikara, Atarashii no Inochi

Naruto sat in his seat, waiting for Iruka-sensei to arrive, early for once. Whenever the door opened, he found himself looking in that direction. After this happened for about the sixth time he sighed and rested his forehead on the table.

'What the hell am I so jumpy about?' He thought.

**"You're waiting for Hinata-chan to show up,"** the gruff voice echoed through his head.

'No I'm not,' Naruto responded. 'That's ridiculous Kyuubi-'nii-san.'

**"Yes you are,"**

'No I'm not,'

**"Are too,"**

'Am not,'

**"Yes,"**

'No,'

**"Yes,"**

'No,'

**"Yes,"** The door slid open and Hinata entered. Naruto perked up and called out to her. He pulled out the empty seat next to him and grinned. He heard Kyuubi chuckle. **"Told ya so."** The fox commented.

'Shut up.' Naruto snapped. He turned to Hinata. "Morning Hinata-chan, how are you today?" He asked her cheerfully.

"I'm fine Naruto-kun," Hinata told him.

"You didn't get in trouble for yesterday did you?"

"No, my father was surprised, that's all," she replied. "Thank you for saving me Naruto-kun." She said in a soft whisper.

"No problem Hinata-chan, you're my friend and I don't want to see my friends ever get hurt," Naruto told. "So, what was the deal with your eyes?" He asked her.

"I'm not too sure; it could be some kind of variant of the Byakugan. I couldn't sleep this morning so I managed to figure out how to turn it on and off, I felt less tired when I did,"

"It might drain your chakra the longer it's on," the blonde suggested. "That could be it." Hinata nodded at this statement, it made sense to her. The class quieted down as Iruka walked in, looking a bit tired, but overall the same. He did a quick scan of the room and wasn't too surprised to see Naruto and Hinata sitting together.

"Good morning class, I hope you've been keeping up with your studying, I've got a pop quiz for you today. So, everyone line-up, this is an oral quiz," Iruka smiled slightly. He really did love his job. The call of the battlefield had long since died in him and he had no interest in returning to it.

Everyone was lined up and waiting their turns. Naruto was quiet for once and was instead thinking on what had happened last night when he'd fallen asleep.

XxXxXxX

_**"It's been a long time Naruto,"**__ Naruto stared up at the huge cage, a pair of eyes staring back. __**"I doubt you remember me though."**__ Naruto tilted his head to the side, a look of confusion spread across his face._

_"Who are you?" He asked finally. The voice chuckled and whatever was behind the bars of the cage shifted._

_**"I'm the Kyuubi, the nine-tailed fox demon, and several years ago, you used to call me your big brother,"**__ Kyuubi replied._

_"Big brother? Why?"_

_**"Because I always did my best to protect you, make you feel safe, and keep you warm,"**__ Kyuubi told the blonde boy. He could tell Naruto was thinking hard on it._

_"I think I remember hearing you before, when I was smaller," Naruto said._

_**"That's right," **__Kyuubi said softly. __**"After a while we stopped hearing each other."**_

_"Then, how are we talking now?"_

_**"We both wanted to protect Hinata-chan, such a sweet child,"**__ Kyuubi's voice seemed to become very soft and gentle. _

_"Does she remind you of someone?" Naruto asked._

_**"Yes,"**__ the large fox remained silent for a little while longer. __**"But, now that we can talk to each other again I can finally take care of you."**_

_"Okay, Kyuubi-'nii-san, I remember that I used to call you that," Naruto said. The large red eyes seemed to smile at him._

_**"You get some sleep now little brother, you need your rest, I'll protect you,"**__ Kyuubi said. Naruto nodded and the large chamber faded into blackness. And Naruto slept._

XxXxXxX

Naruto snapped out of his musings at the sound of Hinata's gentle voice. She was answering the questions Iruka was asking her. After a few more questions she made her way back to her seat as Naruto stepped up to Iruka.

"I hope you've been paying attention Naruto," Iruka stated. Naruto simply grinned. "Okay, first question, what is the purpose of deception?" Iruka asked. Naruto's grin widened.

"Deception is used by a shinobi to make himself or herself look weaker in an enemy's eyes, that way they are underestimated and can get the upper hand," Naruto answered easily. 'Such a stupidly easy question.' He thought.

**"Don't get cocky now, you're not in the clear yet."** Kyuubi reminded him. Naruto listened to the next question. He paused a moment to think it over.

"Hmmm, this one's a little tougher. Difference between a heavily layered genjutsu and an ordinary disguise…" Naruto thought a little longer.

"You can just say 'pass' and move on to the next question," Iruka told him. Naruto shook his head.

"A genjutsu, no matter how strong can still be seen through and dispelled, an old fashioned disguise is harder to see through unless it's completely retarded," Naruto replied.

"Why is a normal disguise harder to see through?"

"Because…because unlike a genjutsu, clothing is just clothing, to anyone a shinobi could be a civilian, the only difference is that a ninja carries himself or herself differently than a civilian does," Naruto said. Iruka nodded and made a quick note on his clipboard.

"Okay Naruto, last question then you can go back to your seat," Iruka glanced over the list of questions he hadn't asked yet. "Last one, what is the key to evading an enemy that is tracking you?" Naruto wanted to laugh at this.

'Looks like I pass, for once.' He thought gleefully. "Apart from simply staying ahead of an enemy, one must remain downwind and suppress one's chakra to the lowest point to avoid detection. Other than that, just hope the enemy isn't a very fast runner." Naruto answered.

"Okay, go back to your seat," Naruto trudged back and sank into his chair and chuckled.

"How do you think you did Hinata-chan?" He asked the girl.

"I think I passed," Hinata replied.

"That's good, I think I did too, maybe I can get my grades back up before the final test and I might graduate this year," Naruto said. So far, the only person who had grades as bad as his was Shikamaru and that was only because he did nothing but sleep in class. If he could bring his grades up, he might even be able to get on the same team as Hinata.

XxXxXxX

The Academy instructors that were in charge of this year's graduating class, the Hokage, and a few others were together, planning out the team setup for June.

"Iruka, how's Naruto doing?" Sarutobi asked.

"His grades have been steadily rising since early February, if he does well on the final test, he might pass this year. Right now, he's just above Inuzuka Kiba in the academic apartment, under Akimichi Chouji at taijutsu, and one above Nara Shikamaru in ninjutsu and genjutsu," Iruka reported, looking over Naruto's file.

"So, assuming Uzumaki does pass, how are the teams going to be arranged?" another chuunin asked.

"As they are now, one team would contain Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and either Inuzuka Kiba or Uzumaki Naruto. Another would have Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Chouji. The final team would consist of Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and like before Kiba, or Naruto," Iruka said.

"I believe Hyuuga Hiashi requested to have Uzumaki Naruto placed in the same team of his daughter," Sarutobi said.

"Why?" His son, Asuma asked. As a possible teacher to one of these teams, he was required to come along.

"He never specified," Sarutobi replied. "I suspect that it had something to do with her confidence problems."

"Of course, this is assuming that the boy even passes this year, he's failed the last two times he's tried,"

"Yes, but before he hasn't had the motivation he did before that," Iruka told the gathered group. "He wants to pass before because he has a friend in Hinata, he wants to graduate with her."

"Is it wise to let that…boy graduate?" One jounin asked. Iruka responded before anyone else had, he rose to his feet and slammed his hands onto the table; he was staring said jounin down. The silver-haired, one-eyed man didn't seem fazed by the Academy teacher.

"Naruto has just as much right as anyone else," Iruka growled. "And nor do I have the right to impede him from doing what he wants to do."

"Iruka, calm yourself," Sarutobi ordered. Iruka sat down again; glaring at anyone that he thought would question his judgment on the boy he thought to be like a younger brother to him. "Kakashi, you should be ashamed of yourself. What would Minato think of you if he heard you?" He demanded of the man. Kakashi's eye flicked over to the aged man, then back to analyzing Iruka and the man's reaction. He simply shrugged.

"Minato-sensei is dead because of that kid, why should I be nice to him?" This time, it was a woman who replied.

"I've been spending some time looking over the students, particularly, Naruto, he seems like any other boy with a big dream, he is no more of a demon than any of us," Her thick black hair threw her face into shadow, but her crimson eyes could be clearly seen.

"Kurenai, please," Sarutobi sighed, this meeting was getting out of hand far too fast for his liking.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama," she quieted down and said nothing more throughout the rest of the meeting.

XxXxXxX

If there was one thing that Naruto found creepy about the Hyuuga clan, it was that they all seemed to be clones of each other. Hinata's cousin Neji look exactly like his father and uncle. Even Hinata's younger sister Hanabi was like a female clone of her father. At least Hinata had her own unique look with her short dark indigo hair, and kinder nature. She stood out as opposed to everyone else in her clan.

Hinata leaned over, her hands resting on her knees for extra support.

"Hinata-sama, we are done for this morning," Hinata nodded and straightened.

"Thank you Neji-'nii-san," she wiped sweat from her brow. "Are you going to be late?" She asked.

"No, though I would still refuse to run two hundred laps around the village even if I was late," Neji replied a bit of sarcasm lacing his tone. Hinata giggled. She found that her cousin's team was a rather colorful group, and was impressed with each of their individual strengths, especially Tenten's. "You'd best hurry yourself Hinata-sama; today is a very important day for you." Neji commented.

"I know, I'm just waiting for Naruto-kun," Hinata replied.

"You and Uzumaki get along very well. I'm glad that you've finally found such a loyal friend,"

"Naruto-kun is a very nice person, I hope we get to be on the same team," Hinata murmured softly.

"Hey, Hinata-chan let's go!" Naruto stood at the gate waving.

"Good luck Hinata-sama," Neji inclined his head slightly.

"Thank you Neji-'nii-san, but please just call me Hinata," Hinata gave him a smile before heading towards the gate to greet Naruto.

"Morning Hinata-chan," Naruto greeted her with a wide grin. "You ready for the test?" He asked.

"Good morning Naruto-kun, I believe I am ready," Hinata answered. In the four months the two had been friends, Hinata's stutter had gone away and she was more willing to speak her mind.

"Great, let's get going!" Naruto gave Neji a quick wave and walked off with Hinata in tow.

"Hinata has left already?" A voice spoke behind Neji. The boy turned and bowed to his uncle.

"Yes Hiashi-sama, just now with Uzumaki," Neji replied. Hiashi nodded.

"That boy has brought some very nice changes in Hinata, perhaps now she will be a truly strong leader," Hiashi commented.

"If I may sir, I believe Uzumaki may cause some trouble for Hinata-sama, many of the villagers seem to have an unadulterated hatred for him." Neji said. Hiashi nodded, he knew of this and also knew that some of his kinsmen were among that group.

"Do not let it trouble you Neji," Hiashi said as he walked away.

XxXxXxX

Naruto made it through the written portion of the exam with some difficulty, but he felt confident that all his last minute hard work had paid off. Next would be the practical portion, broken down into the three main shinobi skills. He stood with the rest of the class in one of the training areas. Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei were calling out pairs and having them spar until the teachers had determined that they'd seen enough to know who had passed this part.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka-sensei called. Naruto frowned; of all people to be paired up with it had to be Sasuke. The dark haired boy smirked.

'I've got this one.' He thought confidently. They two stepped up and faced each other.

**"Remember Naruto, remain calm and do **_**not**_** let him piss you off,"** Kyuubi coached Naruto.

'I know 'nii-san, I'll do my best.' Naruto responded as he slipped into a basic taijutsu stance.

"This shouldn't be hard, it's just the dead-last," Sasuke said with another smirk in an attempt to bait Naruto.

"I'll try not to ruin you girly face too much, wouldn't want you to lose your fanclub," Naruto retorted. He knew his comeback wasn't that great, but verbal battles weren't his forte.

"If you two are ready, you may begin," Iruka stated. Sasuke nodded and charged at Naruto, aiming a punch at the blonde's stomach. Naruto blocked and retaliated with a roundhouse kick. Sasuke jumped back to avoid it and Naruto followed him, launching a flurry of punches at any part of the taller boy he could get at. When all of these failed, he switched tactics and swept Sasuke's feet out from under him. Sasuke nearly landed on his back, only to catch himself and use that momentum to perform a momentary handstand and attempt to kick at Naruto. Naruto caught Sasuke by the ankle and knocked him over.

Sasuke was on his feet in a moment began to drive Naruto back, finally, he managed to break through Naruto's defense and knock him to the ground, causing Naruto to slide across the ground a few feet. Naruto was just getting to his feet when Iruka stopped them.

"I've seen enough already, please wait while everyone else takes their turn," Both boys nodded and each found a place to sit as far away from each other as possible.

When Hinata was called up to go against a Sasuke fangirl Naruto didn't know, the fangirl didn't stand much of a chance. Even though Hinata didn't like to hurt people by nature, the fangirl was too busy about a broken nail and was practically knocked across the area before she even realized it. She sat beside Naruto and he congratulated her.

Next up was the genjutsu section of the test. The only requirement was for them to be able to dispel a genjutsu. Unfortunately, Naruto was unsuccessful, much to his chagrin. Hinata had little difficulty, but faltered in the forming of hand seals. While, just about everyone else had managed to do it without any problems.

And finally, it was time for the ninjutsu portion. Naruto sat in the classroom, waiting for Iruka to announce what it was to be.

"You will be tested on your ability to use the Bunshin no jutsu," Iruka said. Naruto suddenly felt like screaming. Out every single basic technique they were taught, they had decided to go with the one that had caused him to fail the first two times he'd taken the exam. One by one, students were called into a neighboring classroom to be tested. Finally, it was his turn after Sasuke emerged clutching a forehead protector in his hand. Naruto was called in and he entered.

'Okay Naruto, you can do this!' He chanted in his head.

"Well Naruto, let's see what you can do," Iruka said. Naruto nodded. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to clear his mind. He opened them and slapped his hands together to form the ram seal as he gathered his chakra.

"Bunshin no Jutsu!" He cried. There was a loud bang and Naruto was momentarily shrouded in smoke. When it cleared, there lay a single sickly deflated looking clone. Naruto wanted the floor to just open up and swallow him. Iruka sighed, glancing over the results of the tests, Naruto had done better on the written part than he would have several months ago, his taijutsu was decent, but it was the genjutsu and now, ninjutsu that ruined him.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I can't pass you," Iruka said, he was clearly disappointed that the blonde hadn't been able to pass again.

"Oh come now Iruka, I mean that clone could be used in combat if the enemy isn't looking," Mizuki spoke. "Why don't we give him a chance, just this once?" Naruto looked up hopeful.

"No, it wouldn't be fair to the others, I'm really sorry Naruto," Naruto slumped his shoulders and shuffled out of the room, back to where everyone else was. He entered and sank into a seat and brushed Hinata off. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

XxXxXxX

Hinata stood beside her father, her shiny new forehead protector hung around her neck. She spotted Naruto chakra signature and took a step towards the boy before hesitating. She turned to her father.

"Go ahead Hinata, he needs someone to comfort him," Hiashi said to her quietly. Hinata nodded and began to make her way towards the swing, only to realize that Naruto had disappeared in her moment of uncertainty. Hinata sighed. "Perhaps we should go home now Hinata." Hiashi placed his hand on her shoulder and steered her away.

XxXxXxX

Hinata hadn't found it hard to locate Naruto; the residue of his chakra told her where to go as she followed his tracks out into the forests. She came to a small clearing, but remained hidden behind a tree. She could hear Naruto breathing loudly.

"I've almost got it," she heard him mutter. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" There was a pop and she checked to see what was going on. There were several identical chakra signatures in the clearing, and they were all distinctly Naruto's. He dismissed them and flopped onto the ground to catch his breath.

"Naruto!" She recognized Iruka's voice easily.

"I-Iruka-sensei, what are you doing here!"

"You are in a heap of trouble Naruto!" Iruka practically yelled in the boy's ear. This didn't seem to bother him much.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei, I did it! I learned a technique from this scroll, if I show you I can pass right?" He asked excitedly.

"What? Where'd you get that idea from?" Iruka asked, confusion showing clearly on his features.

"Mizuki-sensei told me, he said that if I can learn a technique from this scroll, I can pass!"

"Mizuki told you?" Iruka pondered for a moment before he heard the sound of several projectiles coming at them. He shoved Naruto out of the way and brought his arms up to protect his torso. Only one kunai actually hit him, striking him in the thigh. He pulled it out with a grunt and looked up to see Mizuki standing on a tree branch, smirking. Beside him stood a Kumo-nin, the very same one that had been under the watchful eyes of the ANBU for four months now.

"Heh, trust Iruka to find the brat so easily," Mizuki muttered. Naruto couldn't help but stare at the newcomers. "But it looks like the Hyuuga brat didn't come along though." At the mention of Hinata, Naruto tensed nervously.

"What the hell are you going Mizuki!" Iruka demanded.

"What does it look like? I intend on taking that scroll and killing the brat. My associate will be taking the Hyuuga," Mizuki said as he reached behind his back for the pair of fuuma shuriken strapped to it. He took one and began to rotate it slowly.

"Iruka-sensei, why is he going to kill me?" Naruto asked uncertainly.

"Why? Because you are the container to the Kyuubi! Everyone hates you and wants you dead! Even Iruka does," Mizuki roared as he threw the overlarge shuriken at Naruto. "Now die!"

"Naruto, run!" Iruka ordered. Naruto stumbled to his feet, but kept slipping on the damp ground. He looked back in horror as the weapon came hurling at him.

'No, I don't want to die!' Naruto thought desperately. When he felt something wet drip against his cheek he opened his eyes to see Iruka kneeling over him, the fuuma shuriken protruding from his back. "Iruka-sensei? Why did you protect me?" Naruto asked in shock.

"I don't hate you Naruto, nor do I want you dead. You're like my little brother," Iruka said through gritted teeth. "Run Naruto, don't let him catch you." Iruka said. Naruto nodded and got to his feet, running. Iruka yanked the weapon from his body and rose slowly. "Don't you dare hurt him Mizuki!" Iruka tossed the weapon at the white haired man. Mizuki sidestepped, but failed to see Iruka's movements. Iruka had suddenly jerked his hands closer to his body and his finger's twitched oddly. The shuriken abruptly turned around came at him from behind.

"What?" The shuriken cleaved Mizuki's head in half before he could even react. The shuriken fell to the ground and the light blue glow that had surrounded it was gone. Iruka cracked hi knuckles and searched for the escaped Kumo-nin. He was gone already. He checked behind the tree Hinata had been hiding behind. He'd seen her as he came into the clearing.

"Naruto," Iruka took off in search of his students.

XxXxXxX

Naruto stopped to catch his breath, he'd gotten pretty far. He sat down and hoped that Iruka was okay. He frowned; he knew Mizuki had been messing with his head, trying to turn him against Iruka, and possibly the rest of the village. Naruto would very gladly admit to not liking the villagers, but at least he didn't hate them, not yet anyway. Naruto snapped to attention when he smelled the approach of the Kumo-nin. He leapt to his feet, ready to fight or run depending.

"Mizuki told me that you're the Hyuuga brat's friend, where is she?" He ordered.

"Why the fuck should I tell a dickhead like you where Hinata-chan is?" Naruto retorted. The Kumo-nin gawked at the boy like he'd suddenly sprouted a tail or something.

'Where'd a kid learn to talk like that?' He wondered for a second. Composing himself he sneered at Naruto. "Tell me where she is and I might let you live."

"There's no chance in hell I'd betray Hinata-chan, she's my best friend, my only friend, and I sure as hell wouldn't hand over her life for the sake of my own!"

"Such loyalty, it makes me want to puke!" The Kumo-nin rushed at Naruto, his hands brought up forming seals. Suddenly, he was struck by a flying kick to the face and thrown into a tree. Naruto blinked in shock and surprise as Hinata stood before him, a look of pure determination on her face.

"Hinata-chan," the boy murmured.

"I wouldn't let my friend die just for my own sake either," she said confidently as the Kumo-nin slowly rose to his feet.

"Damn brat, but this will make taking your eyes all the sweeter," he grinned maliciously. Hinata slipped into a basic Jyuuken stance, though she couldn't see the tenketsu with her eyes, she could at least tell where to aim a blow. She took a deep breath to steady herself and blinked some sweat out of her eyes. When they opened again, something was different with it. Though she could see the foreign shinobi's chakra signature, she could also see the way his chakra was flowing through his body.

'This is different, but it might help me.' Hinata thought. The sound of movement beside her caused her to remember Naruto.

"I'll stand by your side Hinata-chan," the blonde boy said softly as he too fell into a basic fighting stance. "I always will."

"You two really piss me off!" The Kumo-nin was charging, already forming seals for another jutsu. The gathered chakra was centered at his hands as he charged them both. Hinata deactivated her eyes and her world fell into complete black as it usually was. She heard the crackling of electricity and ducked under the charged palm thrust, while aiming her own at his abdomen. He grunted from the strike, and then cried out when Naruto managed to sweep his legs out. The Kumo-nin went down and the pair stepped back. Hinata charged in again now that the technique had fizzled out and came in going for his heart, only to have him grab her by the wrists and toss her into a tree.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto glowered at the ninja and brought his hands up before him. "You'll pay for that." He said simply as he formed a cross shaped seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" The area filled with replications of the boy and every single one of them was glaring death at the man. He gulped just as the nearest one made his move.

XxXxXxX

Iruka arrived at the end of the battle to find Naruto and Hinata standing over an unconscious Kumo-nin.

"We did it Hinata-chan, we beat our first real opponent," Naruto cheered happily.

"You did most of the work Naruto-kun,"

"But if you hadn't landed that first blow, I probably wouldn't be standing here, so thank you," Naruto said. "I'm really glad to have a friend like you."

"Hinata, Naruto, are you two alright?" Iruka asked as he approached the pair. They both nodded. Iruka smiled, glad that they were safe.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Naruto glanced at Hinata, surprised at the sudden stutter.

"What is it?"

"Is it t-true; are you really the K-Kyuubi's vessel?" She asked him. Naruto sighed and stared at his feet.

"It's true," Naruto turned his back on both her and Iruka. "You think I'm a monster, don't you?" He asked quietly, his voice was filled with sadness. A pair of slim arms wrapped themselves around him.

"No I don't Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered into his ear. "I could never think of you as a monster. You will always and only be Naruto-kun." She told him. Naruto smiled slightly and was surprised to realize that he was crying.

"What about you, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked the man.

"You're just good old Naruto to me. What happened twelve years ago wasn't your fault Naruto, I don't blame you for it," Iruka said. "Besides, you're like the little brother I never had." He said, ruffling Naruto's hair affectionately. Naruto turned abruptly, Hinata squeaked from the sudden movement, but he caught her and held her hand tightly.

"Really?"

"Really, I mean it," Iruka told him. "Now, close your eyes, there's something I want to give you." Iruka gave him a reassuring smile. Naruto complied with the request. He felt his goggled being removed, and after a moment, they were replaced by something else. He winced slightly when a couple of hairs on the back of his head were pulled from his scalp. "Okay, you can open your eyes now." Naruto did so and was greeted by a smiling Iruka whose forehead was bare. "Congratulations Naruto, you graduate."

Hesitantly, Naruto reached up felt the cloth and metal on his head. Slowly, his lips stretched into a wide smile as he jumped at Iruka and hugged him tightly. The dark haired man cried out when the wound on his back was aggravated by the sudden movement.

"Sorry Iruka-sensei," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

"Its okay, why don't we get back to the village now, the sun is about to rise," Iruka suggested.

"What about the Kumo-nin?" Hinata asked. They had thoroughly forgotten about the man.

"We'll be taking him," The looked up into the trees to see two ANBU squads standing in them. Iruka nodded. "Hokage-sama has called for you three as well." One of the captains said.

"All right, come along you two, let's go see what he has to say," Iruka quickly ushered to two children along back towards the village.

XxXxXxX

Iruka entered the Hokage's office to see the old man waiting from them. Naruto and Hinata came in behind their teacher. He gave them a reassuring smile.

"It would see that you two have a knack for getting in trouble," he said. His comment was aimed at the two kids. Naruto chuckled sheepishly while Hinata blushed crimson. "But anyway, Iruka, do you mind fetching Hyuuga Hiashi for me please?" Iruka nodded and left the room. "Sit down you two." The two fell onto the small sofa up against one of the walls. Hinata yawned, but remained awake.

"Ojii-san, we won't get in trouble will we?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Well, Naruto, you did technically steal from me," Sarutobi said pensively as he stuffed his pipe with some tobacco. Naruto winced at the statement. "But, seeing as you were tricked into doing it and you returned the scroll safely, I guess I can let it slide this time." Naruto's face lit up into a smile. He chuckled and leaned forward slightly, causing Hinata to shift. Although she had tried, she'd managed to fall asleep while leaning against him. He carefully lifted her up and removed his jacket and placed it under her head to use as a pillow.

After a few more moments, Iruka returned with Hiashi in tow. He saw Hinata sleeping, and his expression softened slightly.

"Thank you for coming, Naruto, do you mind taking Hinata outside for a bit, I wish to speak with them alone," Sarutobi requested. Naruto nodded and lifted Hinata up gently. He carried her out the door and sat down while cradling her in his arms.

'I wonder what they're going to talk about.'

**"Maybe what team they're going to put you one, who knows,"** Kyuubi suggested. **"Though, that's probably the more likely possibility."**

Inside the office, that was indeed what they were discussing.

"Well, because Naruto didn't really pass with the rest of the class, he will be have to be placed on Hatake Kakashi's team," Iruka stated.

"Who is the girl to be on the team?" Hiashi asked.

"Haruno Sakura," Iruka replied. Sensing Hiashi's response, he spoke before the man could. "I'd like to switch her out with Hinata, but placing her with Uchiha Sasuke would not be a good idea. Even with Naruto nearby to defend her, Sasuke will most likely put her down constantly. And given Hatake's…dislike of Naruto, there's a possibility that some of that will pass to Hinata as well. Not to mention that the Council Elders practically demanded that Hatake teach Sasuke." Iruka said.

"So, basically, it wouldn't be a good idea," Hiashi let out an exasperated sigh. "What if Naruto was switched out with one of the boys on the team Hinata is to be assigned to?"

"Switching him with either Shino or Kiba would misplace the balance on Hatake's team,"

"It seems, that nothing can be done then," Hiashi had really hoped that there would be a way to keep the two together. "If that is all, good night." He headed to the door and opened it. He took the sleeping Hinata home after giving Naruto a quick nod and what looked like a sympathetic look. Naruto was sent home where he hurried to his bed, not even taking the time to change out of his orange jumpsuit.

**To say the least, I was surprised at the reception of this story. Nothing I've written has gotten so many reviews withing 24 hours of being put up. Needless to say, I'm exptremely happy and love you all.**

**A reponse to the anonymous reviewer _jg_:**

**Actually, I wasn't really thinking of that when I wrote that little part with the Kumo-nin, it just came to me, but reading your review, I thought that I might as well run with that idea, thanks so much! But, changing Neji's personality is gonna be hard, but I'll give it a shot. Though, character development is probably my weakest point when it comes to writing. Thank you very much for reviewing, I truly appreciate it. I hope you come back to continue reading and reviewing.**


	3. Zutto Soba ni

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 3: Zutto Soba ni

Iruka was lying awake in bed, staring through the semi-darkness at the ceiling. 'If I were to sneak in and switch the teams around in the files, I wonder if I could get away with it.' He thought. Iruka turned over, and contemplated for a while longer. 'I wouldn't get far; I haven't really kept up with my training since I started working as a teacher. The guards would most likely catch me.' Iruka rubbed his face and turned back over onto his back. 'Even if I could make it in, how should I change the teams up?' He asked himself in annoyance.

He considered the options carefully, knowing that if his plan succeeded, everyone would be in for a big surprise. 'I could switch Naruto and Kiba; they're pretty much matched when it comes to intelligence and genjutsu skills. But, Naruto is more cunning, he's more than proven that. Kiba's physically stronger though, and better with control over his chakra.' Iruka continued on to the other options. 'If I exchanged Shino and Naruto, it would seriously mess up the balance of the two teams. Having the three brightest on one team wouldn't do much good. Plus, Shino is almost as good as Sasuke in terms of taijutsu, as well as ninjutsu.' He sighed and closed his eyes in thought.

'If Hinata and Sakura were switched, that could be a big blow to Hinata's self-esteem. Sasuke's become extremely arrogant since he started at the Academy. He insults Naruto constantly, and since Hinata associates herself with him so much, Sasuke might do so to her as well. Not to mention the teacher. The elders practically ordered Hatake to take Sasuke as his student. He's already shown signs of not liking Naruto at all, and he would without a doubt play favorites among them.' Iruka sat up and slammed his fist into the mattress.

"Dammit! This is just so damn difficult to figure out!" He cried, running his fingers through his hair. "I shouldn't try to mess up how the teams have been decided, especially, since I'm so out of practice, my stealth abilities suck crap by now. I couldn't get into the Hokage's office even if I was still in good shape." He flopped back down and managed to fall asleep for a couple of hours.

XxXxXxX

The loud clatter from the great evil called the alarm clock slowly caused a hand to snake out from the blankets that hid the person beneath them. The hand came down on the alarm clock, knocking it to the ground. The sound of it crashing into the floor caused the person to kick the blankets off in irritation. Naruto yawned widely and sat up. He ran his fingers through his hair and tromped his way to the bathroom, splashing freezing cold water onto his face to wake himself up thoroughly. He trudged back to his room and dug through the falling apart dresser and failed to locate any of his favorite orange jumpsuits. Glancing over to where the rusty old washer and dryer stood in one corner of the kitchen, he saw that they were all dirty and waiting to be washed.

"Damn," Naruto pulled out a plain white t-shirt and pulled it on. It was a little small, and it felt mostly like a second skin, but at least it wasn't choking him around the collar. He dug up a pair of dark blue pants and put those on too. They hung loosely at his hips, but he had no belt to wear to keep them up. Naruto walked into the kitchen, tugging his pants back up as he went when they began to slip. From the back of his mind, he heard a loud yawn.

**"Morning Naruto," **Kyuubi said in a tired voice.

'Morning 'nii-san,' Naruto greeted in return to his tenant. He boiled some water for ramen and gave his milk a quick sniff. He made a face and tossed it into the trash can. When the water started to boil, he poured it into the styrofoam cup and ate it. Naruto passed by the bathroom, and caught his reflection in the mirror. He entered and looked at himself more carefully. 'Was my hair always this thick?' He thought, tugging on a clump of it. His hair spiked up in more clumps than it normally did. He shrugged and remembered to grab his forehead protector from his dresser before heading out.

Naruto made his way down the street towards the Academy when his senses put him on high alert. The first thing that tipped him off was the painfully strong scent of floral scented shampoo and perfume. The second was the sound of large amounts of giggling. He automatically looked around for a brooding Uchiha, but found no one. He tugged at his pants before they slipped off and another round of giggling began.

"Why do I feel like I'm being watched?" Naruto asked out loud. He continued to look around, and that's when he spotted them, a horde of fangirls, civilian and ninja alike, staring at him. "When the fuck did this happen?!" He screamed as he ran. He was desperate to get away when he spotted a certain Uchiha. A foxy grin spread across his features. He ducked into an alley for a second, and forming a seal, transformed himself into a girl, still fully dressed. He stepped out of the alley and melted in with the horde. Then, at the top of his lungs, he yelled.

"LOOK! IT'S SASUKE-KUN!" This caused a frenzy of pushing, shoving, and trampling as the girls attempted to get at the dark haired boy. Said boy froze in fear, and then took off. Naruto waited until the flock turned the corner and he released the transformation. He chuckled and continued on his way in peace. "At least the bastard's good for something." Naruto muttered. He could see the Academy when a familiar head of indigo hair popped up. "Hinata-chan!" He called to her.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, good morning," Hinata said with a smile.

"Good morning to you too," Naruto returned her smile, even if she couldn't see it. They walked towards the Academy, just as Sasuke appeared, the fangirls still chasing him. He halted when Naruto blocked the door.

"Out of the way!" Sasuke snarled. Naruto grinned, but didn't move. The fangirls halted and looked between the two boys, unable to decide which one they liked more. The dark and brooding Uchiha, or the happy cheerful Naruto, what cruel deity was there to force them to choose between the boys? A whisper began among them as the boys watched. Slowly, they all seemed to come to some kind of agreement. They didn't _want_ to decide, they wanted _both_ boys. That is, if Hinata would let them get at Naruto. She stood next to him, staring at the mass of chakra signatures.

"I think we should get inside now," Naruto suggested.

"Wow, you can think?" Sasuke asked in a mocking tone. Naruto glared and opened the door, pushing Hinata inside gently and he went in after her. Sasuke wasn't so lucky, at the disappearance of the blonde, the girls jumped at Sasuke. He was clinging desperately to the door frame. He wanted to ask for help, but his pride wouldn't let him. With one powerful tug, they had him. Naruto stared at the door, very glad he had his Hinata-chan to chase them away. They walked to the classroom and sat in the usual corner.

Ten minutes later, Sasuke entered, looking thoroughly disheveled and it looked like a few of the girls had attempted at ripping his shirt off. Naruto fell out of his chair laughing until he was hit on the head by Sasuke. He shut up and glared again.

XxXxXxX

Sarutobi was allowing the jounin teachers to view their prospective students. Moving from one student or group of them to the next with his crystal. He paused briefly at Sakura and Ino, who were arguing over who should get to sit next to Sasuke. This ended when Naruto stood from his seat in the corner, and dragging Hinata with him, sat down beside the boy to save him the horrors of the Banshee Duo, as Naruto had come to call them.

Kiba was half asleep in his seat, Akamaru dozing on his head. Chouji and Shikamaru sat together; Shikamaru had a calculating look on his face as he silently watched Naruto curiously.

"Is that Uzumaki?" a jounin asked.

"Yes, that's Naruto," Sarutobi replied.

"How did he pass? I thought he failed," Asuma murmured.

"He was partly responsible in the exposure of a traitor in Konoha, and with the help of Hyuuga Hinata, stopped a Kumo jounin," Sarutobi told his son, his voice holding a small amount of pride. "Iruka saw fit to pass him for it."

"Isn't that favoritism?" Kakashi asked.

"Not necessarily, Naruto and Hinata accomplished what could have been considered a high C-rank mission," Sarutobi took a deep pull on his pipe. "Iruka felt if prudent to do so."

"Hmm, and he's to be my subordinate, this should be interesting to say the least," Kakashi murmured.

XxXxXxX

Naruto and Hinata were chatting easily, enjoying their last few moments before Iruka stepped into the room. When the man did, there was something different about him. He seemed to carry himself differently than before.

"Okay class, today is a big day for all of you," Iruka beamed and swept his eyes over them all, quietly proud of them all. "So, to begin your journeys as ninja, you will be divided into teams of three."

'Teams of three? That'll slow me down some.' Sasuke thought.

"So, they will be divided as follows, team one…" this continued on for a while longer.

"Maybe we'll be on the same team together," Naruto suggested to Hinata.

"Team number seven, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka announced. All three of them weren't very happy.

'Damn, I'm stuck with a pretty-boy and a fangirl, this sucks!' Naruto thought in annoyance.

'Yay! I get to be with Sasuke-kun!' Sakura was ecstatic about that part of the arrangement. 'But I'm with that idiot Naruto.'

'Great, two dead weights, this won't be pretty.' Sasuke scowled at the thought.

"Team number eight will be as follows; Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba,"

'Naruto-kun.' Hinata was saddened with the thought of not being with her friend. Kiba chuckled, but was glad to on the same team with Hinata. Shino simply pushed his sunglasses up. The final two teams were announced and Ino complained loudly about being on the same team with Shikamaru.

"You're all dismissed for lunch, be back in an hour," Iruka announced as he walked out. The students spilled from the room, some happier than others. Sasuke hurried off before Sakura could attach herself to him. Naruto waited for Hinata to appear.

"Hinata-chan, let's get something to eat," he grinned and.

"Hey, Hinata's sticking with us since she's on _our_ team, so get lost Uzumaki!" Kiba snapped.

"Hinata-chan can speak for herself flea bag, she isn't mute," Naruto retorted. "Let her decide."

"You can come with us Naruto-kun, if the others don't mind," Hinata said. Shino made no comment, but Kiba definitely had something to say.

"I mind, go hang out with your own team, besides, you smell like crap," Kiba rubbed the underside of his nose to emphasize his point. "Almost like a fox." The last part was barely audible, but Naruto heard it quite well. He wanted to jump Kiba for it, but, chose to speak instead.

"You don't exactly smell like a bouquet of flowers either mutt!" Naruto snarled. "You know what, I'll just go on my own, I'll see you later Hinata-chan." With that, he walked away.

'That should show him who's boss around here.' Kiba thought.

"K-Kiba-kun, you shouldn't be so mean!" Hinata yelled. Kiba stared at the girl in shock. Hinata spun on her heel and followed Naruto's fading scent.

XxXxXxX

"It's too bad, we're not on the same team," Naruto said sadly.

"Yeah,"

"But, at least we'll get to see each other when we're not on missions or training, right?" he asked optimistically.

"Maybe," Hinata took a deep breath. "Naruto-kun?"

"What is it Hinata-chan?"

"I-I-I'll miss you Naruto-kun!" She said with as much courage she could muster. The statement caught Naruto by surprise and he merely stared at her. Naruto's look of bewilderment faded and he smiled at her.

"I'll miss you too Hinata-chan, not being able to see each other everyday, it won't be as fun as it used to be," Naruto stood from his place on the ground and dug through the pocket of his pants. His pants slipped down to his knees and he blushed. He yanked them back up, glad that Hinata couldn't see. He took Hinata's hand and placed an old slightly rusty key in it. "Here, if you ever want to get away from your family or something, my place is always open to you, no matter what time of day." He said.

"Are you sure Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

"Yep! I know your family doesn't always get along with each other, so, in case you want to, keep it,"

"Thank you Naruto-kun," Hinata carefully tucked the key into the pocket of her pants.

"I think it's almost time for us to head back now," Naruto pulled Hinata to her feet, and they headed back towards the Academy. They walked passed an annoyed Sasuke, and an upset Sakura. Naruto and Hinata were just able to catch a bit of their conversation.

"You don't know what it means to be lonely Sakura, so don't act like you do," Sasuke said in a low dark tone. This caught the pink haired girl by surprise, and it thoroughly silenced her. After this statement, Sasuke walked away.

XxXxXxX

Hinata walked behind Kiba and Shino as they followed their new teacher up to the roof of the Academy building. They had been one of the first teams to be collected, and she was forced to leave Naruto behind. They came to the roof and they all sat down. Hinata studied her teacher's chakra signature intently. Based on the way is didn't fluctuate erratically like so many other's, she had exceptional control over it, and it flowed smoothly and easily, telling her that the woman specialized in genjutsu.

"Okay, let's learn a little bit about each other first," the woman paused to look over her new charges. "My name is Yuuhi Kurenai; I will be your jounin instructor from now on. Now, why don't you go first?" she gestured towards Shino.

"Aburame Shino," he replied simply while pushing his sunglasses up.

"Okay, what do you like to do in your free time?" Kurenai asked. Shino did not respond. 'This one needs to open up more.' She thought. Kiba went next.

"I'm Inuzuka Kiba, and this is my partner Akamaru," Akamaru barked in response to hearing his name. "We train in our free time, so that we can work together better." Kiba responded. Finally, it was Hinata's turn.

"Etou, my name is Hyuuga Hinata, I press flowers, sometimes, when I feel like it," Hinata said hesitantly, now that she fully recognized Kurenai from her younger years, she felt more comfortably around the woman. "Also, I like spending time with Naruto-kun." She finished.

"Okay, now that that's done, we have a few more important matters to discuss," Kurenai said. They continued on until they were dismissed and Kurenai left. Hinata lingered for a moment, before heading back indoors to wait for Naruto.

XxXxXxX

"Where the hell is our teacher!?" Sakura demanded. There was no response, even from Naruto. She looked over at the two boys to find Sasuke staring impassively at the board, and Naruto had his nose buried in a book. "Since when did you read Naruto?" Sakura asked him. Naruto didn't show any sign of answering her question. Growing just a bit frustrated, Sakura walked right up to him and bellowed in his ear. "Answer my question you dumbass!" Naruto placed a hand over his ear to save it.

"Huh? Hey Uchiha, did you hear something?" Naruto asked the other boy. Sasuke glanced at him questioningly. "Like an annoying screeching sound?" catching on, Sasuke smirked.

"No, nothing at all Uzumaki," he replied. Naruto nodded and went back to reading. Sakura curiously looked over at the title of the book he was so engrossed in. "Legendary Shinobi of the Past and Present: Volume III; K-P" Sakura quickly realized that neither of the boys were paying her any attention, so she sat down to wait.

After five more minutes of waiting, a new scent was processed through Naruto's brain. 'Finally, he's here.' He thought in annoyance.

**"That scent is vaguely familiar brother, be a little careful,"** Kyuubi advised.

'Okay 'nii-san.' Naruto flipped a page in his book.

**"Oh look, it's the Blondie that put me where I am now,"** Kyuubi muttered darkly in response to the photograph in the book.

'That's the Yondaime? He looks a lot younger than I thought he was.'

**"He couldn't have been any older than thirty when he died," **Kyuubi responded. Naruto glanced up upon hearing the door open. There stood a man with silver hair and wearing a mask to cover the lower half of his face.

"What a bunch of losers, especially the bookworm over in the corner," the man muttered quite loudly. Naruto snapped the book shut and tucked it away into one of the pockets of his pants. "Meet me up on the roof in ten minutes." With that, the door closed and the man was gone. The three glanced at each other in slight bewilderment.

'Recognize the man now?' Naruto asked Kyuubi.

**"A bit, I think he was the Blondie's student,"** Kyuubi said. **"Kakashi, I think that was his name."**

The three made their way up to the roof where Kakashi sat waiting. They each sat down, and the jounin quickly noted that Naruto sat further apart than the other two.

"All right, let's start with the introductions," he said lazily. Kakashi heaved an irritated sigh when no one spoke up.

"Ano, sensei, maybe you should go first, since we don't know you," Sakura spoke slowly, as if afraid that Kakashi would yell at her for speaking.

"Okay then, my name is Hatake Kakashi," he paused for a moment before continuing on. "I have too many likes to name, and I dislike…well I don't like certain people." Naruto glared when Kakashi glanced at him. "I have no hobbies worth mentioning, and I do not wish to tell you my dreams for the future." He finished.

'So all we learn is his name.' Sasuke and Sakura thought.

'Why am I not surprised?' Naruto thought blandly.

**"I don't know why you still are,"** Kyuubi responded.

"First up is Blondie," Kakashi pointed at him.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto grinned slightly. "I like ramen and Hinata-chan, even if she can be a little quiet sometimes. I most definitely hate the villagers, 'cause they're a bunch of no good ignorant bastards,"

'Oh that can't be good.' Kakashi thought nervously.

"I also don't like people who judge others without getting to know them first, which is pretty much everyone here," Naruto paused to glare at Kakashi again. "My hobbies include pulling pranks, and gardening, and I want to be Hokage one day." Everyone thought he was done, but he wasn't just yet. "And, I want to find out if I have any family in the world." Naruto fell silent, and remained silent.

'Odd.' Kakashi pondered for a second. "Next, bubblegum here," He pointed at Sakura.

"Oh, um, I'm Haruno Sakura, I like…" she trailed off and cast a longing glance at the dark-haired boy next to her. "I dislike people who are always late, and," she glared heatedly at Naruto, who completely ignored her as he had his book out again.

"Anything else?" Kakashi asked.

"Um, my dreams for the future…" she looked over at Sasuke and collapsed into a fit of giggles.

'Jeez, girls her age are more interested in romance than training, this won't be easy.' Kakashi thought in annoyance. "Finally, short, dark, and emo," Sasuke scowled.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he grunted. "I have very little that I like, and even less that I dislike." He murmured. "I would not call this a dream, as it is more of an ambition; to kill a certain man and revive my clan." The brooding Uchiha finished his introduction, and ignored the stare he was getting from Sakura.

'One guess as to who he's talking about.' Kakashi thought. Now that everyone was finished, he decided to speak again. "Right, tomorrow meet at training ground seven at six sharp, and don't be late." Kakashi handed the three a small pamphlet. "Oh, don't eat breakfast; I don't want you throwing up." With that said, he left in a swirl of leaves.

Sasuke rose to his feet and walked away, Sakura on his heels. Naruto remained where he was until the scent of lilacs and lavender struck him. He stood up as he marked his page and tucked the book away again.

"Hey Hinata-chan, do you want to get something to eat?" he asked softly. Hinata approached him.

"Okay Naruto-kun," Hinata replied. Naruto turned and slung his arm around her shoulders.

"Let's go then," they left the roof and headed away from the Academy building. "So, how's your team?" Naruto asked her.

"They're okay, I guess, Kiba-kun is a little annoying though,"

"I figured, I just wish he'd take a bath more often," Naruto grinned and laughed. They came to Ichiraku ramen and sat down.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan, what would you two like today?" Ayame asked them.

"Two miso ramen!" Naruto cried. Ayame nodded and gave the order to her father. Hinata and Naruto spent the time waiting, talking about their teams. When the food arrived, nearly all conversation ceased as Naruto devoured the ramen before Hinata had even taking a fourth bite, "Another bowl please." He requested. Ayame giggled at the boy. This went on until Naruto had finished his fourteenth. It was a little less than what he usually ate, but, he didn't want to get a stomach ache.

XxXxXxX

Naruto climbed the stairs up to his apartment and stopped at the door to find something attached to it. A scroll had been hung on the door. Giving it a cautious sniff, Naruto deemed it safe and opened it up. There was a short note saying that there was some money for him to by some new clothing, but there was no name telling him as to where it was from. Biting his thumb, Naruto summoned a very large wad of ryo to spend. It was only about four in the afternoon, so he had plenty of time for some shopping. Tucking the scroll and money into his pocket, he hurried back down the stairs.

Naruto walked around the shopping district of the village, ignoring all the stares he was getting. He entered a store that sold clothing to shinobi and he wandered through the aisles.

"Hey, brat! If you're not buying, get lost!" The owner appeared from behind the register, brandishing a broom at the blonde.

"Oh, I am, and I'm sure you don't want to drive away any potential profits," Naruto responded. The owner grumbled and retreated. Naruto continued his browsing.

**"For the love of all that is good in this world Naruto, don't buy anymore orange,"** Kyuubi begged. **"Besides, it isn't ideal for a shinobi to wear orange anyway."**

'Fine, no orange.' Naruto conceded to Kyuubi's pleas. Naruto snatched several pairs of black and blue pants off of racks, as well as several shirts of multiple colors. Naruto spotted a rack of vests and snagged a couple. But what really caught his eye was a long midnight black jacket, with flames lining the hem and sleeves. "Whoa! This one is awesome, how much?" he looked at the price tag and frowned. He'd have just enough if the owner decided not to overcharge him. Making his decision, he took the jacket as well and made his way to the counter.

"All of this?!" the owner stared.

"Yep!"

"Can you afford all of it?" the man asked incredulously.

"I can today," Naruto replied. The owner rang up everything, and by some strange act of a higher being, Naruto wasn't overcharged. He paid for it all, and was glad to see that he had enough money left over to by groceries to restock his fridge and pantry.

"Thank you for your business," the owner said as Naruto walked away, his arms laden with the bags of his purchases. Naruto headed home and dumped all of his new clothes into the dresser, while tossing out everything that was too small. He saved the clothing that was still big, knowing that he'd eventually grow into them.

**"Those are some pretty nice clothes, but what made you buy that jacket?"** Kyuubi asked.

'It looked really cool, but I won't wear it everyday or anything, I don't want to ruin it.' Naruto replied. Naruto's stomach growled loudly. 'Dinner time!' Naruto thought. He headed to the fridge and yanked it open, only to find it empty. 'Yay, I get to eat out. I had plenty of ramen for lunch, I know, I'll get some dango!' Naruto grinned at the thought and headed out.

XxXxXxX

Hiashi ate quietly with his family, waiting for a good time to ask his eldest about the team she had been placed on, even if he already knew the answer.

"Hinata," said girl glanced up from her plate.

"Yes Father?"

"Who is on your genin team?" he asked her gently. The others at the table were listening as well. Hanabi was the least interested though. Neji and Hizashi continued to eat, but it was clear that they were listening.

"My jounin teacher is Yuuhi Kurenai, and my teammates are Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino," Hinata answered. Hiashi noted the small amount of sadness in her voice. He knew that she had been hoping to be with Naruto.

"Sounds as if your team is to be a reconnaissance team," Neji commented.

"I believe that is the purpose," Hinata said. 'Though, with my eyes, I don't know how much of a team we will be.' She thought. Hinata heard a soft snort to her right and she remembered her younger sister's presence.

"Won't be much of a reconnaissance team if she can't even see," Hanabi muttered. "Hanabi, show some respect for your sister," Hiashi chastened her.

"I'm simply stating a fact," of the members of the Hyuuga clan, only Hinata's sister, father, her uncle Hizashi and cousin Neji knew of her lack of normal vision. Of course, Neji and Hizashi were sworn to secrecy about it.

"I may not be able to see the same things that you can sister, but I am still useful to my team," Hinata said bravely.

"Really? Are you saying that you can be of just as much use as I could be?" Hanabi inquired.

"Yes, if not more so," Hanabi abruptly stood from her seat.

"Sit down, Hanabi," Hiashi ordered.

"No Father, I wish to see if Hinata's eyes are superior to my own," Hanabi said. Hinata realized what her sister meant. Hiashi knew it too, but Hinata would not allow him to stop her sister.

"If that is what you wish, Hanabi," Hinata rose, and silently, the pair walked towards the training dojo, where their father trained with them. Hizashi and Neji followed in mild shock. Hanabi walked to the center of the dojo and faced Hinata. Hiashi watched helplessly as Hanabi charged at Hinata. Hanabi's eyes seemed to glow as they studied her older sister intently.

Hinata could see that all of Hanabi's chakra was centered around her eyes and hands. Hanabi's chakra fluctuated violently, telling her that her sister was angry. As Hanabi approached, standing in the basic Jyuuken stance, Hinata threw her arm out and held Hanabi back by the forehead. Hanabi tried to press in further, but Hinata had a longer reach and was physically stronger. Hanabi leapt back, and came in again. Hinata dodged each attempted strike, and one that nearly grazed her side was met by a quick pulse of chakra to protect the tenketsu there.

"Stop this Hanabi, I can see every attack you attempt, your chakra flow tells me what you will do," Hinata said. Hanabi shook her head and came in again. Hinata sidestepped and grabbed Hanabi by the arm, and threw the smaller girl over her shoulder. Hiashi stared in surprise at his eldest daughter.

"How did you know how to do that?" he asked her.

"Iruka-sensei made it a requirement that all of his students know basic taijutsu, no matter what," Hinata answered. Hanabi got up off the ground.

"Come, Hanabi, I need to discipline you for speaking in such a way to Hinata," Hiashi said.

"No Father, leave Hanabi be, she did not know of what she spoke of," Hinata said. Hanabi walked by her and murmured something for only her to hear.

"I do not need to be defended by one as weak as you are," Hinata tried to ignore those words but found herself unable to. Hizashi followed his brother away, while Neji lingered for a moment, and flashed what she could only describe as a look that seemed to glow with pride.

XxXxXxX

Naruto awoke the next morning, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 'Morning 'nii-san, you ready to kick some jounin ass?' Naruto asked.

**"I wish I was the one doing it, remember, don't let him bait you into anything,"** Kyuubi said.

'I know.' Naruto got out of bed and dragged himself into an ice cold shower. 'Note to self, beg for the hot water back.' He thought as he shampooed his hair. He came out of the bathroom and quickly dressed to warm himself up. He pulled on a pair of new black pants that actually fit, and a dark red t-shirt. Naruto tied his forehead protector on, and slipped his arms through a vest and slipped into his sandals.

**"Eat first,"**

'But we were told not to.'

**"It's a trick so that you don't function at full strength, so eat," **Kyuubi ordered.

'Okay then.' Naruto ate quickly and made his way out the door as he shouldered his backpack.

XxXxXxX

He arrived to see Sasuke and Sakura already waiting. They were both sitting down, and were obviously very tired. Naruto did not greet either of them, and sat down between the two and pulled out his book to continue where he had left off.

Several hours later, Kakashi arrived. Sakura reacted rather loudly, much to the annoyance of both boys.

"YOU'RE LATE!" She roared. Sasuke winced at the volume.

"Would you shut up Haruno, that really hurts," Naruto snapped as he put his book away.

"Well, now that we're finally here, I should explain the exercise to you guys," Kakashi said. "Basically, it's survival training." He said.

"Survival training?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," reaching into his hip pouch, Kakashi drew out a timer and a pair of bells. "You guys have two hours to retrieve these bells from me. And, if you do not come at me with the intent to kill me, you will not succeed."

"What happens if we don't get a bell when the time is up?" Naruto asked.

"You get tied to the post, and watch everyone else eat lunch," Kakashi replied as he produced a pair of lunch boxes from a scroll and set them down. Sasuke and Sakura stared longingly at the food. "Anymore questions?" Kakashi queried. No one spoke up. "Good, because the time starts now." With his finished statement, the three disappeared to hide. 'This should be good.' He thought.


	4. Seizon Shuuren

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 4: Seizon Shuuren

'Hmmm, not bad at all. I can't see any of them, but Uzumaki; he's a different story altogether. Can't see him, his chakra signature barely registers, and I can't smell him either.' Kakashi stood in the clearing, searching for the illusive blonde. 'I'm going out on a limb here, but those pranks were for a hell of a lot more than just attention.' Kakashi sighed and flashed thought some hand seals, too quick to be seen clearly. A barrage of shuriken and kunai struck him in the side. A poof of smoke surrounded the jounin. When it cleared, it revealed a portion of a log, peppered with weapons.

'Shit! I gave away my position!' Sasuke charged through the trees, trying to remain silent in the process.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find you?" Sasuke froze abruptly. "So naïve, I'm going to have to fix that." Sasuke turned his head to find Kakashi standing behind him. "Lesson one: taijutsu." He smiled behind his mask.

'This should be fun.' Sasuke thought as he slipped into his taijutsu stance. Kakashi reached into his hip pouch as Sasuke came charging at him. Sasuke stumbled and faltered. 'Taijutsu, then why is he going for a weapon?' He thought, puzzled. When Kakashi's hand came back around, he was clutching an orange book in his hand. Sasuke raised an eyebrow when he saw the title. 'This guy is a jounin?'

"Are you going to come at me or not?" Kakashi flipped a page and looked thoroughly uninterested in the fight. Making up his mind, Sasuke charged again. He jumped up to punch Kakashi in the head. Kakashi ducked under the punch. Sasuke was already aiming a kick for the man, but Kakashi caught him by the ankle. He released the boy and stepped back from another kick.

'I'm not moving fast enough! He doesn't even have to watch what I'm doing!' Sasuke was getting frustrated with the man and came at him, faster than before. Kakashi looked up and caught Sasuke's fist with one hand, and ankle with the other. Sasuke twisted and went for another kick with his free leg. Kakashi threw him away before the foot could connect with his person.

'He must be getting serious now.' Kakashi realized. 'I can't even keep reading, and I was getting to the best part too.' Kakashi quickly marked his page and tucked the small book away. Sasuke charged, but overshot his leap and ended up with his back to Kakashi. "You shouldn't let your enemy get behind you," Kakashi lectured. Sasuke managed to turn in time to see Kakashi form a genjutsu around him. "Lesson two: genjutsu."

Sasuke looked around for Kakashi. The genjutsu was seamless as far as he could tell. He had barely felt the alteration it had done to his senses; it was as if Kakashi had never been there with him to start with. Sasuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes to concentrate. That was his mistake; Kakashi burst from the ground and yanked him down by the leg. The genjutsu melted away to reveal Kakashi standing over him, his visible eye smiling down at him.

"Lesson three: ninjutsu," Kakashi said. Sasuke tried to loosen up the dirt to get free. He was up to the neck in the dirt and could barely move. There was enough room for his chest to expand so he could take full breaths, but that was it. "You know, nails that stick up are the ones that get hammered back down with all the others." Kakashi told him as he pulled his book back out and continued to read. Kakashi glanced curiously down at Sasuke. He wasn't too surprised to see the boy scowling, but what shocked him was the lack of any real life in his eyes.

Sasuke looked as if he wasn't really living, or at least didn't seem to be able to show the emotion to do so. "Wanna hear a bit?" Kakashi asked as he flipped another page. Sasuke didn't reply in any way. Kakashi found his place and began reading out loud. As he continued, he could see a blush spreading across Sasuke's face. 'At least he's still a human boy. Damn you Itachi, ruining your baby brother's childhood like that.' This seemed to reassure Kakashi and he stopped reading. He walked away, already searching for Sakura and Naruto.

XxXxXxX

Naruto came up behind Sakura and rolled his eyes. 'Her obsession with Uchiha is going to get her killed.' He thought.

"**Adolescent females do annoy me so much,"** Kyuubi grumbled**. "Except for Hinata-chan of course."** He added as an afterthought.

'Well, let's get this over with, the sooner I calm her down, the sooner she'll listen to me.' Naruto moved closer to the pink-haired girl until he was right behind her. Naruto wrapped one arm around her waist and pinned her arms down, while his other hand covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Sakura reacted violently, attempting to free herself from Naruto, and kicked him in the shins a couple times in the process. He dragged her backwards, away from the brush and clearing. "Calm down Haruno," he ordered. Sakura did calm, if only slightly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Naruto?" she demanded when he let her go. She let out a small noise of fright when he threw his vest at her.

"Put that on," Naruto ordered.

"Why should I wear your smelly old clothes?"

"It'll mask your scent from Hatake. It's pretty obvious that he has a good nose, and your perfume is way too strong."

"How will it-?"

"It carries my scent, he'll think it's me," Naruto responded. He pulled her along through the brush, pausing every once in a while.

"Where are we going?"

"To pull Uchiha out of the hole he fell into," he answered. A few more minutes later, they returned to the clearing.

"Where's Sasuke-kun?" Naruto pointed. "He's just a head!" she screeched quietly. Naruto formed a seal and a clone popped into existence beside him.

"Check for Hatake," the clone dashed away and Naruto waited.

"Coast is clear Naruto," the clone reported.

"Thanks Naruto, let's get going Haruno," the pair came out of the trees and approached Sasuke.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura spoke hesitantly.

'This is so goddamn humiliating.' Sasuke thought when he saw them approach. "Just get me out of here already." he muttered darkly.

"Alright, fine, give me a hand here Haruno," the two dug through the dirt to free the Uchiha.

After another ten minutes of digging, Sasuke's shoulders were free, but nothing else and he didn't have enough room to pull his arms out. Naruto halted in his digging and stood up.

"Why'd you stop?" Sasuke glared at the blond.

"Keep digging him out, I'll hold Hatake off," Naruto straightened to his full height, as unimpressive as it was. Waiting silently, he could faintly smell Kakashi on the breeze, but the man was a little too far away. Naruto felt a faint tugging at his senses, specifically around his sense of sight and smell. A moment longer, Naruto slapped his hands together to form the ram seal. "Kai!" Kakashi appeared just behind him. Naruto ducked under Kakashi's incoming arm, and made a swipe for a bell, only to have his hand swatted away. Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the wrist and threw the boy over his shoulder.

Naruto twisted around in midair and managed to land on his feet, wincing when his ankles took the shock of the landing. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Kakashi quickly found himself surrounded by an army of Narutos. Without so much as a word, they all charged in to attack. Kakashi was able to take them all out without a whole lot of difficulty. The main problem was that the smoke that came with each clone's disintegration was lowering his ability to see. Because of this, he failed to see the rather large fireball barreling towards him.

The flame struck and burned out quickly. Sasuke took a deep breath of cool air to relieve his throat. All of the smoke cleared to reveal two charred logs, and no Naruto or Kakashi.

"You could have given Naruto a little warning you know," Sakura admonished Sasuke, surprised by her own words and tone.

"He was obviously uninjured, seeing he got away just as easily,"

"Oi! Quit talking about me behind my back!" they turned to see Naruto standing there, a smug grin on his face.

"How'd you get there?" Sakura asked him.

"It isn't that hard to walk up behind you guys when your guard is down, hell, I'm surprised Hatake didn't do it himself, sneaky bastard that he is,"

"Aren't you the sneaky bastard?" Sasuke queried. "Did you get a bell?" Although it was unlikely, if he – Uchiha Sasuke – could not get a bell, then Naruto couldn't have. Naruto's smug grin became even larger. The blonde reached into the pocket of his pants and withdrew one bell. It chimed lightly with the movement of his hand.

"Whoa, nice job," Sakura murmured.

"Thanks Haruno, but we still need the second bell, either of you have any bright ideas?" he asked.

"Sneak up on him, or maybe a trap?" Sakura suggested.

"Nope, he'd sense Sasuke coming, he can't suppress his chakra signature, and he'll notice my scent if there is two of it," Naruto said. Just as he finished speaking, they heard the timer go off in the other clearing. They all stiffened and waited.

"Who should I tie to the post?" a disembodied voice – they recognized it to be Kakashi's – echoed through the clearing. "Sasuke did try to snag a bell, but ended up buried in the ground." Sasuke ground his teeth at the reminder, and Naruto could have sworn the boy was blushing slightly with embarrassment. Kakashi stretched out the suspense a little while longer for them. He then stepped out of the tree line and came up to them. "I must admit, masking Sakura's perfume with your own scent; that's damn sneaky of you Uzumaki. It might have even impressed me; I think I'll have to talk to that old teacher of yours for a little more information. Iruka was his name right?" Naruto nodded slightly, and flushed from the compliment. He only ever got them from Iruka or Hinata; Sarutobi nearly never did, mostly because half the time, Naruto was sent to the old man for misbehavior.

"T-Thank you," Naruto murmured, just barely loud enough for any of them to hear.

"Anyway, even if you willingly worked with Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura, you're going to be tied up,"

"No, not the post sensei!"

XxXxXxX

Sakura's stomach growled loudly as she watched the boys eat. She hadn't been able to eat dinner the night before, and she had followed Kakashi's orders and hadn't eaten at all in the morning. Sasuke was clearly starving, as he shoved as much food into his mouth as possible, not caring if it made him look a bit like a slob. Naruto had only taken a few bites. In fact, Sakura had expected them to be reversed—Naruto should have been the one stuffing his face, not the other way around.

Kakashi watched them from a good distance away, careful to position himself downwind from Naruto. It wasn't difficult for him to assess each of the genin separately. Sasuke, as he had expected, had been good, for a genin anyway. Sakura had also met his expectations of being more of a hindrance than anything else. All she had done was dig Sasuke out of the ground, while that helped Naruto retrieve a bell, it had done nothing for the team overall.

Naruto, on the other hand, had completely blown away any and all expectations he had for the boy. He had thought that Naruto would be the first to make a move, and do so without any thought into it. It had been Sasuke who was being hasty, not Naruto. Naruto also showed a pretty good amount of smarts considering his "dead-last" standing at the Academy. Naruto's senses were much stronger than he thought, though, that could have easily been Kyuubi's doing. Also, Naruto had united the team to a certain point. There was also the fact that Naruto had been the only one to retrieve a bell from him, and Kakashi suspected that Naruto had some basic skills as a thief, having heard of a few rumors from shop owners about him stealing food every once in a while, mostly when winter began to settle in.

Kakashi had been totally convinced that Naruto wasn't actually Naruto, but that he was the Kyuubi in human form. But the boy was just far too human for it to be true. The blonde displayed so many different emotions, more than just anger. The boy always seemed to be smiling from what he could see. His opinion on Naruto couldn't be swayed so easily, or so quickly though. It could have easily been a trick on Kyuubi's part to get him to lower his guard. It would take some time yet for Kakashi to fully trust Naruto.

Kakashi smiled when he saw Naruto hold the lunch box out towards Sakura, after a second's hesitation, Sasuke did the same. 'Well this is new, I would have had to pass them anyway, and the village council would have skinned me alive if I didn't train Sasuke.' Kakashi chuckled and rose from his spot to join the genin.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke and Sakura jumped when Kakashi appeared, looking like a terrifying monster, his eye gleaming, telling them of unspeakable horrors. Only Naruto looked somewhat unfazed by his rather unexpected emergence.

"You guys…" Kakashi waited, letting the tension build a little while longer. "Pass!" His eye curved upward, telling them that he was smiling.

"What!? Why!?" Sakura demanded, her feet flailing a bit from her emotion. Naruto ducked under her leg and frowned.

"You need to learn to look 'underneath the underneath',"

"So says the man who can't see passed his prejudices," Naruto muttered. Kakashi glanced over at him.

"Anyway, anyone figure out what the whole point of this test?" Kakashi asked them.

"That's easy; you wanted us to work together. Not that hard to figure out, considering the bells were supposed to be a wedge between the three of us," Naruto replied.

'Wow, the other two are looking like they didn't even know at all.' Kakashi thought after a quick glance at Sasuke and Sakura.

"You don't all understand yet do you?" Kakashi asked. No one spoke up. "In the shinobi world, those you break the rules are scum, but those who abandon comrades are below even that." He said. "Someone very close to me told me that once, I live by it."

"So, what you're saying is that, we can disobey orders for the sake of our team?" Sakura asked. Kakashi nodded. Looking at Sasuke, he seemed to realize what he meant as well.

"Good, it looks like we all understand, let's get out of here and celebrate," Kakashi said. Naruto and Sakura smiled, while Sasuke smirked. Kakashi untied Sakura and she stretched out her cramped muscles. The four of them began the walk back to the village.

After a while, Kakashi had decided to ask a question that had been bugging him about Naruto's behavior.

"Naruto, why weren't you hungry?" he asked.

"I ate breakfast this morning," Naruto replied easily.

"So you disobeyed my orders?"

"Yeah, pretty much,"

"Why?"

"My nii-san said that it was a trick and told me to eat,"

"Your nii-san? Are you referring to Iruka?"

"Who I call family is none of your business, Hatake," Naruto replied, making sure the topic was dropped. Kakashi did not speak again, but now twice as many questions had popped up in place of the ones he had just asked.

XxXxXxX

Hinata sat with her new team in the dango shop, after spending the morning and early afternoon sparring with each other. Kurenai had said that she wanted to observe their skills. Kurenai had been surprised to learn that Hinata's nose was nearly as good as Kiba's. She had also learned of Hinata's eyes.

Kurenai had been very aware of the fact that Hinata was blind, but was shocked to learn that Hinata's eyes were changing. Although the girl's world was no longer cast in complete darkness, the only light the girl could see was chakra. Kurenai had become curious as to how Hinata would continue to develop, and whether or not the Byakugan had somehow altered itself because of Hinata's lack of normal sight. The three kids were chatting and eating, while she sat and watched their interaction.

Shino didn't say much at all, but seemed to be listening. Kiba was doing most of the talking, and he seemed to be a rather boisterous boy, very much like every other Inuzuka, he kept on bragging on how strong he was, just like any other boy his age would do. Hinata was only listening vaguely, not really into the conversation Kiba seemed to be having with himself.

"I could beat anyone of the other guys in our class," Kiba boasted. "Uchiha could give me a run for my money, but Uzumaki wouldn't be much of a challenge, I'm even surprised he passed." Upon hearing Naruto's name, Hinata decided to jump into the conversation.

"Kiba-kun! You shouldn't say anything like that when you know that Naruto-kun could beat you if he wanted to!" Hinata snapped. Kiba stared at her. Where had that shy little girl he'd known through most of the Academy years gone? Kurenai found herself a bit more interested in the conversation now that Hinata had chosen to speak up.

"What are you taking about Hinata? Naruto will always be the dead last of the-," Kiba was silenced when Hinata slapped him across the face.

"Don't talk about a person you know nothing about Kiba!" Hinata was angry, that much was certain. "Naruto-kun is very strong; he can pick himself up from just about any fall. He tries his best, and doesn't back down. Even after everything that has happened to him, he continues on like there's nothing wrong." Hinata stood up and began to walk away, not faltering in the least. "And, I cannot stand for someone insulting my best friend like that, without some kind of retribution." She finished as she left the shop. Shino and Kurenai stared at Kiba to gauge his reaction.

"What?" he asked when he finally noticed them staring. Shino remained silent, but he was giving off a slightly angry aura.

"Here's some very important advice about women Kiba, you always, and I mean _always_ agree with them when they defend someone they care about," Kurenai said in a soft voice, but he could tell, she meant it. Kiba nodded vigorously, the motion caused the sleeping Akamaru to fall from his perch on Kiba's head.

"What did Hinata mean by retribution?" he asked hesitantly.

"I believe she intends to return the insult, in some way, at some time when you're least expecting it," Kurenai answered.

"You think she will?"

"Well, considering that Naruto is her friend, I think it's safe to say that she will,"

"I'm screwed,"

"Indeed you are," Shino said, finally deciding to join in.

XxXxXxX

"Hey! Hinata-chan!" Naruto called to the girl. His team was standing outside a restaurant arguing over where to go for a second lunch. Hinata walked up to him and smiled.

"Hi Naruto-kun, how's your team?" she asked him kindly.

"Not too bad, I mean at least Haruno isn't hanging off of Uchiha, not yet anyway," Naruto snickered. Hinata giggled. "How about yours?" Hinata's expression darkened. "Uh, Hinata-chan?" Naruto took a precautionary step away from her.

"Mutt boy will pay!" Hinata's eyes seemed to be glowing with a promise of pain. Naruto began to move a little further away, a little closer to where Kakashi was standing. When the older man saw Naruto moving, he glanced over at the newcomer and raised an eyebrow.

'I don't think it's a good idea to ask her, I might get caught in the crossfire.' Naruto thought.

"**Never anger women, they're scary when it happens,"** Kyuubi said. **"A pissed off woman is probably the only thing I do fear."**

'I'll take note of it.'

"Naruto," Naruto came out of his thoughts when he heard his name being called. He looked up at Kakashi; somehow, he'd ended up hiding behind the man. "You okay?"

"I think, as long as I don't make Hinata-chan angry, I'll be fine, I hope," Naruto replied as he stepped away from Kakashi. He saw that Hinata was a little calmer now. "So, Hinata-chan, you want to join us for lunch?" He asked her.

"Okay," Hinata had left the dango shop before their food had arrived, so she was pretty hungry now.

"You don't mind, do you Hatake-sensei?" Naruto asked. Kakashi nodded absently as he turned a page in his book. He didn't even notice when Naruto had actually bothered to show a small sliver of respect. They eventually decided to actually enter the restaurant, only to be run out by the owner the second he saw Naruto

"Don't you dare bring that brat in here! I don't care who you are!" He yelled as he closed the door behind him.

"What the hell was that about?" Sakura asked. Naruto ducked his head.

"You know what, you guys go ahead, we won't get anywhere if I'm around, I'll see you later," Naruto said. He began to walk off with Hinata when Kakashi stopped him.

"Naruto, meet us at the bridge tomorrow at nine," he said. Naruto nodded and went on his way.

"Kakashi?" Sasuke asked. "Why didn't the owner let Naruto in?" He asked. Kakashi sighed. He had been hoping to avoid for as long as possible.

"Naruto isn't well liked in the village," Kakashi answered.

"I know that, all of those pranks piss everyone off!" Sakura said.

'It's for a hell of a lot more than that Sakura, I just can't tell you.' Kakashi thought. Sasuke was watching Kakashi carefully; he had a feeling that the man was holding something back from them.

XxXxXxX

"I'll see you later Hinata-chan," Naruto smiled. They were standing outside the gates of the Hyuuga compound. Naruto had walked her home after they'd stopped for some ramen. "It's really too bad that we won't get to see each other as much."

"Yeah, so then, we need to make the most of the time we do get to see each other," Hinata said with a small smile.

"Definitely," Naruto glanced around and then, hesitantly drew her in for a quick hug. He let go and hurried off before he got caught. As he reached the corner, he turned and waved to her before turning the corner to get him.

"Aw, isn't that so cute Neji-kun?" Hinata jumped when she heard Tenten's voice.

"Hn," came the reply. Hinata entered the gates, only to run into Tenten and Neji.

"So, how was your date Hinata-chan?" Tenten asked.

"It wasn't a date, he just walked me home, that's all," Hinata blushed.

"How was your first day with your team?" Neji asked her. At the mention of her team, the angry gleam returned to Hinata's eye. Neji blinked and backed away.

"Oh, I know, who insulted your Naruto-kun?" Tenten asked, hitting the mark perfectly.

"Kiba will pay!" Hinata declared as she clenched her fist.

"Look Neji-kun, Hinata-chan has bite," Tenten giggled. Neji frowned slightly.

"I don't think it's that amusing," he muttered. Unfortunately, Hinata heard him.

"Neji-'nii-san?" Hinata spoke in a deceitfully calm and sweet voice.

"Yes?"

"Come here please?" he took a careful step towards Hinata. Hinata had attacked before he fully realized it. Neji found himself retreating to Hinata's attacks. Hinata had never moved this fast before, as far as he knew. He ducked under one arm and made his way back to where Tenten was watching. He jumped behind her, but Hinata simply followed his path. He ran into a wall and let Hinata punch him hard in the stomach. Hinata took a deep breath and walked away, heading indoors. Neji sighed in relief.

"I think Naruto-kun is starting to rub off on her," Tenten commented.

"You think?" Neji asked her sarcastically. "Anyway, let's get back to training." he said. Tenten nodded.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi found Iruka sitting at his desk grading tests. As far as he could tell Iruka, hadn't really noticed him yet, even if he was simply standing in the doorway to the classroom.

"What do you want?" Iruka asked him as he put one paper aside and took another one from the stack of incomplete ones.

"Can I ask you a few questions?"

"It depends," Iruka replied. Kakashi approached the desk and leaned against it.

"How long have you known Naruto personally?" Kakashi asked.

"Five years, since he started here,"

"I see, does he call you his 'nii-san' outside of class?" Iruka's red pen halted.

"No, he always calls me by my name, I never knew he had anyone to call that," Iruka told him.

"Is that so? Today after their test, he mentioned someone he called as such; I thought you might know, since you seem to know him best,"

"Is there another reason as to why you're here Hatake?"

"Naruto is such a mystery to me, and he's been quite evasive about his own life, all I really know is that he hates pretty much the entire village," Kakashi said.

"Why shouldn't he? After the way you've all treated him I'm not surprised,"

"You do not include yourself with the rest of us?"

"Of course not, Naruto think of me as family, I was the first – no, second – to see him as Naruto,"

"Oh? Who was the first?" Kakashi was finally getting some answers.

"Hyuuga Hinata, his best friend," Iruka said. "After myself, there was Hokage-sama, and then Hyuuga Hiashi."

"Why does Naruto want to be Hokage?" Kakashi asked.

"Why else? He wants respect; no one here takes him seriously. Naruto knows only of loneliness, even if Hinata is there with him, he still feels alone, because she can't completely fill that gap in his heart where family should be," Iruka paused and put his pen down. "Hinata and I, we've tried to make things better for him, but the two of us can't do it alone. Naruto has no other friends other than Hinata, her trusts no one else but Hinata with his deepest secrets. There are some things even I don't know about I'm sure."

"Thank you Umino-san, I think I can understand him just a small bit now," Kakashi said.

"That's all I can really tell you, you have to find out the rest from him," Iruka said. Kakashi nodded and left.

XxXxXxX

Today was team seven's first official meeting as a team, and Naruto was filled to the brim with energy. He sat on the ground, leaning against the post behind him. Sasuke remained silent as they waited for Sakura and Kakashi. Sakura did show up eventually, she was still trying to tame her hair by running her fingers through it.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun, Naruto," she greeted them with a yawn.

They waited, and waited for Kakashi to show up. Two hours later, he did.

"Yo," he landed before them.

"What's the excuse this time?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sorry, I was helping an old lady cross the street," Kakashi replied, laughing nervously.

"For two hours?" Naruto questioned. Kakashi nodded.

"Well, it's time for us to go on our first mission, let's head to the briefing room to get our assignment," Kakashi lead the way. The team came to the Hokage's building and headed to the briefing room. Kakashi pushed the door open and they entered.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto smiled at the sight of the chuunin.

"Hello Naruto, nice to see you with your team," Iruka gave him a smile. Sarutobi cleared his throat. "Oh, sorry Hokage-sama." Iruka shifted through a pile of scrolls. "Here we go a nice easy mission to ease them into life as ninja." He pulled out a scroll. "Team seven, there's an elderly couple on the outskirts of the village, part of their roof's collapsed and needs help repairing it, got it?"

'That's it? Community service basically?' Naruto's eyebrow twitched.

"**You didn't really think they'd start you off assassinating someone did you?" **Kyuubi asked with a snort of laughter.

"You're dismissed," Sarutobi said. The team left the room as Kurenai's team was walking in.

"Good morning Hinata-chan," Naruto said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Good morning Naruto-kun," she responded. Kurenai steered her into the room. Naruto smiled, happy to have been able to see Hinata.

"Naruto," Kakashi called.

"I'm coming," Naruto gave Hinata's shoulder a quick squeeze before following his team. Kurenai smiled at the interaction between the two.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi knocked on the door, and waited. The door opened to reveal an old woman, hunched over slightly from age. She smiled.

"Are you going to help us with our roof?" she asked. Her eyes were squinted in an attempt to see Kakashi clearly.

"Yes we are," Kakashi replied. The woman opened the door further to allow them entrance.

"Please do come in," Naruto was about to step into the house when the woman let out a shriek.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, surprised at her sudden scream.

"Not him!" The woman was pointing at Naruto. Get that demon out of my home!" She screeched. Naruto stared for a second before frowning and opening the door. He stepped outside and closed it.

"Ma'am, he is a part of my team, and he won't hurt you. He isn't even armed," Kakashi tried to calm her down.

"B-be gone! All of you!" The woman yelled. Kakashi sighed and pulled Sakura and Sasuke out before the woman's husband could appear and start yelling too.

"What was that all about?" Sakura asked. She looked around for Naruto, but couldn't see him.

"It doesn't concern you two, meet me at the bridge, I have to go report something Hokage-sama," Kakashi told them. Sasuke and Sakura cast worried glances at each other.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi stopped walked, and waited. Naruto leapt down from the tree he'd been standing it.

"I think I should just give up now," Naruto muttered. Kakashi looked at him. "At this rate, Haruno and Uchiha will never be able to fulfill any missions."

"Nope, you're not allowed to give up," Kakashi told him.

"What do you care? You hate me just as much as the villagers do," Naruto snapped.

"That may be true, but I'm not as narrow minded as they are. At least, I don't think I am," Kakashi said. "Plus, I've been talking to Iruka-san; he told me only a few things about you. He said he wouldn't answer anymore questions until I take the time to learn more about you, from you."

"Iruka-sensei is like a father to me Hatake-sensei, out of everyone who has tried 'to do what's best for me' he's been the only one that's gotten it right so far," Naruto kicked a rock that was on the ground. "The list of people I would trust with my life can be counted on one hand. I had hoped a small hope that the list would grow now that I'm a ninja, it seems I'm a long way away from that."

'This kid, there's a lot more to him than I thought, hell than anybody thought.' Kakashi thought.

They were now back in the village and were walking towards the Hokage's office when Naruto halted, his nose twitching. He groaned. Kakashi wondered what the boy was doing, until he noticed a very angular rock crawling along behind them.

"Konohamaru, I know you're there," Naruto announced. The rectangular rock exploded into pale pink smoke and a large amount of hacking and coughing could be heard from it. Naruto reached down and yanked out three children.

"As expected from my greatest rival, you saw right through our disguise," said a boy with a messy crop of brown hair.

"Anyone could see through that you idiot!" Naruto yelled. "Rocks don't have perfectly flat sides!" He dropped the three kids on the ground. "Wait, who are the other two stooges?" He asked. Konohamaru cleared his throat.

"We're the Konohamaru Corps. I'm the leader, Sarutobi Konohamaru!" He announced in a loud voice.

'The Hokage's grandson? When did he meet Naruto?' Kakashi wondered.

"This is Moegi, and Udon!" Konohamaru finished the introduction.

"I see, but where's the closet pervert?" Naruto asked, looked around.

'What's he talking about?' Kakashi watched the interaction between the four kids. Konohamaru seemed to be convinced that Naruto was his rival, despite the fact that Naruto was considerably more powerful than the younger boy.

"Honorable grandson!" A voice yelled from a nearby rooftop. Kakashi looked up to see a jounin he knew to be a good teacher. "What are you going associating yourself with such riff-raff?" Ebisu stood between Naruto and Konohamaru.

"Shut up you pervert!" Naruto snapped. "If you don't I'll…" Naruto trailed off and brought his hands up to form a seal. Kakashi sighed, grabbed Naruto's hands, and held them in place so he couldn't continue.

"Naruto, come on already, we've wasted enough time as it is," Kakashi said. Naruto glared up at Kakashi.

"Oh, Kakashi-san! Are you taking him to the Hokage?" Ebisu asked.

"Something like that," Kakashi replied. "Come one Naruto." Naruto followed his teacher away from the group.

"Why are we going to see the old man anyway?" Naruto asked.

"I'm going to report the treatment you're receiving," Kakashi replied.

"What about Haruno and Uchiha?"

"They can wait a bit," Kakashi looked down at the boy and saw a small hopeful look in his eyes. "Don't take this the wrong way, the law is the law, the woman called you a demon in front of Sasuke and Sakura." Naruto's smile faded.

"Can't I just tell them? I mean, I'm exempt from that law right?"

"You could, but that could throw off the team completely, they might start to fear you, mistrust you and so on, you don't want that, do you?" Naruto shook his head.

'I just want people to see me for me, like Iruka-sensei and Hinata-chan.' Naruto thought as he followed Kakashi down the street.

**Hope you guys enjoyed. God, I'm having a hard time remembering the really early stuff that happened in the story. Guess I'll have to sit on Wikipedia, and jutsus, oh god, Wikipedia deleted those articles! No!!!!! Anyway, lookeds like I'm gonna have to rely on memory, unless any of you happen to have them copied onto a word document or something? If you do, please send me a copy! Well, I officially have a beta reader, yay, by the name of Wry Bread. Happy, so please review, I'm about to fall asleep where I'm sitting, so I'm going to shut up now.**


	5. Kitai!

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 5: Kitai! - Danger!

Hinata moved quickly and silently. She halted when a loud snore sounded through the door she was crouched next to.

"This is his room Hinata-chan," Naruto whispered. The blonde was attached to the ceiling via chakra. He released his control and fell to the floor. Naruto landed on his hands and tilted forward to stand on his feet. He hunched down beside Hinata. "Are you ready?" he asked her. Hinata nodded, she had no intention of backing out now. Not after spending a whole two weeks planning everything. She clutched the bag in her arms tightly.

"Let's go," Hinata carefully opened the door and slipped in. Naruto followed her and shut the door; they quickly caught sight of their unsuspecting prey, sleeping peacefully. The couple approached silently. Kiba gave a loud snort and turned onto his back. Hinata opened the bag and drew out a pair of worn pale pink ribbons.

"Where'd you get those?" Naruto asked.

"Used to be Hanabi's, she doesn't wear them anymore so she won't care if I borrow them for this," the girl replied. Naruto took the ribbons and carefully tied Kiba's messy hair into pigtails. Hinata began a complex sequence of hand seals and watched as the layers of chakra settled over Kiba's still form.

"Did it work?" Naruto asked. Hinata nodded. "What else do we have to do?" Hinata produced a skirt from the bag.

"Will you need help?" she questioned as Naruto took it from her.

"No, I just hope he's wearing something," Naruto muttered. He took a deep breath and yanked the blankets off of Kiba. Thanking any deity in existence, Naruto sighed in relief when he saw that Kiba was dressed. Naruto lifted Kiba's legs and slipped them through the skirt. He pulled it up to Kiba's waist, and then pulled off the boy's shorts and dumped them on the floor. "Are we done?" he asked.

"Yes, the rest comes tomorrow," Hinata replied. They slipped out of Kiba's room and away from the house, managing to sneak past the kennels where all the dogs were kept without waking anyone. Naruto made sure Hinata made it back home and helped her slip back in through her bedroom window. Once the window was closed securely, Naruto hurried off before any one patrolling caught him.

XxXxXxX

Kiba inhaled through his mouth just as the drool began to collect. He snapped up and coughed until his lungs were clear. He shivered slightly.

'Why is it so cold?' he thought. He pushed the blankets off and quickly saw the reason. 'What the hell?! Where'd this come from?!' He thought, panicking. He distinctly remembered going to bed in a pair of old shorts, not a skirt that didn't even come down to his knees. He pulled the skirt off and was about to throw it in the trashcan next to his desk when he sniffed throw familiar scents from it. 'Naruto and Hinata?' He thought curiously. Kiba tossed the skirt away and ran his fingers through his hair until he met with some resistance. Pulling his shorts back on, he ran to the bathroom and looked into the mirror to find ribbons in his hair. He yanked them out without untying them, pulling out a few hairs in the process.

'Is this all they can do? What a joke, this is nothing!' Kiba thought smugly. He went back to his room to get dressed. Kiba pulled his jacket on and headed down to the dining room where he smelled bacon. He plopped down into his chair and watched his mother move about the kitchen. When she came in, she gave him an odd look but said nothing. Tsume set the table and sat down. Kiba picked up his chopsticks and was about to eat when she stopped him.

"Wait until Hana comes in first," Kiba nodded and put his chopsticks down. Hana arrived from helping to feed the dogs and sat down after giving Kiba a dubious glance. He didn't notice. "Now, we eat." The three picked up their utensils and dug into their food. Kiba ate quickly, he wanted to be the first to arrive at his team's meeting place. He noticed that the two females kept staring at him.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked. Hana shook her head and went on eating. Kiba finished up and stood. "I'll be going now."

"Have a nice day Kiba," Tsume said as he dumped his plate in the sink and left. As soon as they heard the door close they burst into laughter.

"What did my little brother do this time?" Hana asked. Tsume could only shrug in response.

XxXxXxX

Akamaru trailed behind his master, confused as to why his master did not look like a male human child. Rather, he looked like a female human child, a very pretty one at that. He could smell the chakra on his master, but it perplexed him as to what it meant. He noted that the other humans that were already around were also staring at his master. Akamaru stopped and scratched behind his ears; he didn't understand, but he thought it might have to do with the female human on his master's team.

Kiba noticed the stares as well, they weren't hard to miss, considering that a few teenage boys maybe a few years older than him kept wolf-whistling and winking at him. Kiba came to where his team met and found that Shino was already there.

"Hey, Shino!" he called out to the other boy. Shino turned and an eyebrow arched above his sunglasses. If Kiba didn't know any better, he would have thought that Shino was smirking behind the collar of his jacket. Kiba stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited for Kurenai and Hinata.

Hinata came running up, and smiled slightly when she saw that the genjutsu still remained around Kiba and the boy didn't even seem to realize it. She stood beside Shino and waited quietly.

"You were involved with Kiba's appearance, were you not?" Shino asked her quietly so Kiba wouldn't hear him. Hinata nodded.

"Uzumaki as well?"

"Yes, this is Kiba's punishment,"

"I commend you on your inventiveness," Shino said. Hinata smiled at the compliment. "He seems to be unaware of his predicament."

"Naruto-kun changed his clothes too, he was wearing a skirt and pigtails when he woke up," Hinata told the boy.

"I see," Shino pushed his glasses up. "It would seem that Uzumaki's skills as a prankster has not declined since graduation."

When Kurenai arrived, she was staring quite openly at Kiba. Kiba blinked, realizing that his teacher was staring.

"What? Is my shirt on backwards or something?" he asked stupidly, forgetting that he was wearing a jacket.

"It's nothing Kiba," Kurenai responded, looking over at Hinata. "I took the liberty of finding out if we have any missions today, seeing as we do not, let's just get started on training today." Kurenai told them. The group came to their training ground and Kurenai gave them their schedule.

"Hurry up Shino!" Kiba yelled at the other boy as they moved away from Hinata and Kurenai. Once the boys were out of ear shot, Kurenai spoke up.

"I'm rather impressed Hinata, that genjutsu is flawless, you've been practicing," Hinata blushed from the praise. "It would also explain your sudden interest in genjutsu as well." Kurenai gave Hinata a kind smile. "How long did it take you to perfect it?"

"Two weeks sensei," Hinata replied. "Naruto-kun and I spent a lot of time on it."

"Oh, Naruto was involved as well?" Kurenai wasn't too surprised.

"Yes, he was more than willing to help me out,"

"Do you plan on telling Kiba about it?"

"Later, when he finally loses it and starts screaming at everyone," Hinata told Kurenai with a laugh.

"Naruto is such a bad influence on you Hinata," Kurenai said jokingly. Hinata giggled.

"I suppose he is," she said with a devilish grin that could have put Naruto to shame.

"Well, enough of this talk, we'd best get to work," Kurenai told her with an exaggerated sigh.

XxXxXxX

Naruto waited for the other three to arrive while he softly hummed a tune. He hadn't had a chance to see Kiba yet, but he and Hinata had yet to enact the final bit of their plan. It was so different planning out pranks with someone. It was nice to be able to share in the fun with her. This prank had been the latest in a few months. After he befriended Hinata, he'd pretty much stopped with the pranks mostly because he didn't want to drag her down with him.

"Why are you here early?" Naruto looked up to see Sasuke standing there. This was certainly new; Sasuke never spoke to Naruto unless he was insulting the blonde.

"Woke up early, decided to show up early," Naruto answered. Sasuke sat down next to Naruto. "Is there something you wanted?" Naruto asked.

"You're different," Sasuke said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Than before," Sasuke clarified. "You were always a complete dumbass, you act different now. What changed?" Naruto stared. He discreetly gave Sasuke a slight sniff.

'It's definitely him, but he's not being all emo and pissy like normal.' Naruto assumed his thinking pose.

"I don't know," he began, thinking carefully as to how he could answer Sasuke's question. "I guess, it's just a lot easier to go unnoticed than to make people notice me." He said.

"Hardly answers the questions dobe," Sasuke muttered. Naruto grinned.

"That's the point," the blonde told him with a chuckle. Naruto's grin disappeared and he took on a look of complete seriousness. "Honestly, I don't know how it happened. I always wanted people to see me, that's why I did all the crap I did, but after I started talking to Hinata-chan-," Naruto stopped. "That's it!" He cried suddenly.

"What is?"

"Hinata-chan, she's the reason I'm different. I finally have someone that was willing to pay attention and listen to me," Naruto's smile returned. "You know, you could find yourself a friend too, maybe you won't be such an emo bastard anymore Uchiha." Naruto suggested. Sasuke's expression darkened.

'I can't allow that to happen.' Sasuke thought. 'I cannot form any lasting bonds with anyone.' Naruto noticed Sasuke's look and sighed.

'Guy's got to get over himself, and whatever the hell happened to him. Living in the past gets you nowhere.' Naruto thought.

"**He has good reason for his behavior, in a way he's a more human version of me,"** Kyuubi commented.

'How so?'

"**He longs for the one that caused him great pain to be brought to justice,"**

'How do you know all of this crap?'

"**I have my ways,"** Kyuubi answered cryptically.

'You always say that.' Kyuubi simply chuckled in response. 'Hey wait, what do you mean he's a more human version of you?'

"**That is another story for another time,"**

'I hate it when you don't answer directly.'

"**That's why I do it,"** Naruto came out of his conversation when Sakura arrived.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun," Sakura greeted in a more silent manner than normal. Her eyebrow twitched when she noticed Naruto trying to smell her. "What the hell are you doing?!" She demanded loudly.

"Yep, it's her," Naruto said with a chuckle. "For a second I thought you were a spy or something." Sakura punched him on the back of the head. Naruto yelped and clutched his head in pain.

"Would you two quit it already?" Sasuke asked in an annoyed tone. Sakura quickly stopped and returned to trying to get the boy's attention. Naruto rolled his eyes at her behavior and plopped down on the ground. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, tuning everything out.

Naruto had taken up meditation to keep himself calm. He realized that he had far too much energy than he could expend at once, so he took up a much more sedate recreational activity to help. After several more breaths and processing the familiar scents coming from around him, he was completely out of it. He remained this way for a while longer. He knew that Kakashi hadn't arrived yet either, he would have smelled the man by now. Naruto no longer heard Sakura's irritating voice, and Sasuke's one-syllable replies, but he could still smell them, the girl's perfume and boy's scent, whatever it consisted of.

Naruto snapped his eyes open when he caught a new scent, one that he quickly realized to be dangerous.

"Uchiha, Haruno, get out of here," he ordered as he stood up.

"Why should we listen to you?" Sakura demanded.

"Because we will die if you do not," Naruto told her. His voice held nothing but seriousness in it. Sakura blinked in surprise, Naruto had never sounded so serious before. Naruto tipped his nose into the air and sniffed. "It's still a long way off, but even so, whoever or whatever it is, it's undoubtedly dangerous."

"Should we go get help?" the pink haired girl asked.

"Get the Hokage, tell him that there is a foreigner within the borders of the village," Naruto replied. "Hurry." Sakura nodded and turned towards the village. Sakura was walking away when Naruto cried out. "He's here!" He cried.

A man fell from above and landed on the bridge, blocking Sakura's path. He sneered at the sight of them, sweeping his eyes across each of them, giving them a good looking over. He wasn't of an impressive height, but of a broad build, but what caught there attention was the Iwa forehead protector tied to his left bicep.

"Hmm, the girl is weak, that's no surprise," he commented more to himself. Sakura growled in aggravation. "The emo looking one could be good to use." He pondered this over before his eyes landed on Naruto. Naruto's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Weak, and useless, I've chosen my target." The Iwa-nin began forming seals faster than they'd seen before; even Kakashi slowed up to go easy on them. Naruto sensed the gathering chakra and it was directed straight at Sasuke.

Naruto didn't even realize he'd moved until he was struck and crumpled to the ground clutching his stomach in agony.

"Naruto!" both Sakura and Sasuke stared at the blonde on the ground.

"I knew he would do that, too predictable," the Iwa-nin smirked and stepped forward. "Get up brat!" He ordered. Naruto lay there, twitching slightly, his eyes wide in shock and mouth open in a silent scream.

'Kyuubi-'nii-san! Oh god it hurts so much!' Naruto screamed mentally. ''Nii-san! Help me!' Naruto couldn't feel Kyuubi's familiar presence anymore. Kyuubi didn't answer him either.

"Stand up!" Naruto could do nothing but comply with the order. He rose to his feet, one hand digging into his stomach still. The seal burned like white fire. "Kill those brats!" The Iwa-nin commanded. Naruto looked at his teammates. Naruto's hands moved up to his head and he yanked on his hair.

'No! I won't!'

"_Do it! You know you want to, take revenge for the way they've treated you!"_ Naruto screamed in an attempt at resisting. After a good two minutes of internal struggle, Naruto snapped his head up to look directly at them.

"_**Run! Naruto cannot remain in control much longer! We do not wish to hurt you!"**_ Naruto yelled. Red chakra began to leak from his body and envelop him. Sakura stared in fear until Naruto roared. Sasuke turned and ran; he grabbed Sakura and took her with him.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked as they ran.

"To find someone that can do something," the boy answered as they ran.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi stiffened visibly. He had been standing at the memorial stone as he usually did when he was struck by an enormous wave of chakra. He recognized it immediately for it was something he never wanted to experience ever again.

"Naruto," he muttered before turning away and following the source of the chakra. All the while trying to figure out what had happened. 'Did the seal finally break? No, Minato-sensei's seals were full proof, the best.' Kakashi fought to reassure himself. But he couldn't understand what was happening to his student.

XxXxXxX

The pain was unbearable, worse than any beating he had ever received in his life. Naruto could feel chakra that was not his own flowing through him. Strength that was not his was what kept him standing. 'What did that son of a bitch do to me?' Naruto thought. It was the first conscious thought he had had since he had his teammates run away. He could sense someone approaching fast, someone he recognized.

Kakashi landed in front of Naruto and stared at the boy in surprise. The blonde was not the Naruto he knew. This Naruto looked so much older, wilder, and stronger.

"Naruto?" the silver haired man questioned. Naruto turned and looked at his teacher with a small amount of recognition in his eyes.

"_**Get away from here Hatake, we do not wish to kill you against our will," **_Naruto told him. Kakashi blinked.

'Why is he talking like he's two people?' he pondered.

"Kill that man!" Naruto shook his head; his breathing was becoming labored as he fought to resist the order.

"_**We will not be ordered by a meek mortal!" **_Naruto roared back. In a great heave of effort, he launched at the Iwa nuke-nin. _**"We are the greatest of demon lords, no one may command us!"**_ That statement told Kakashi the reason for Naruto's change in speech pattern.

'Kyuubi! They're personalities are mixing? How did that happen?' Kakashi looked towards the vulnerably nin. "You! If you wish to live, tell me what you did to my student." He ordered.

"This monster is your student?" the nuke-nin questioned before he fell into a fit of maniacal laughter.

"Answer me!" the man stopped laughing and smirked.

"The effects are irreversible, whatever it is he is afflicted with, it will not stop until he is dead," Kakashi most definitely did not like that answer.

"Liar! Tell me the truth or else I will rip your head off!" Kakashi was stunned by his own words. 'When did I ever really give a damn about Naruto?'

"It cannot be stopped, unless he pulls a miracle out of his ass, he and that demon will die," Kakashi growled in annoyance and ran up to Naruto. Naruto lashed out, he was losing himself to his wild side.

'At this rate, he'll die.' Kakashi tried to think of a solution. 'What would make him calm down?' He thought desperately.

"_**Please, Hatake, save us, we do not wish to die, not yet,"**_ Naruto paused. **"Naruto has so much more life to live. He is still so young, save him, for I cannot." **Kakashi realized that he was speaking to the Kyuubi.

"How? How can I save him? I know nothing about him to know what to do,"

"**Bring Hinata-chan to him, she is his light; bring her,"** Kyuubi told him.

"What about him?" Kakashi pointed to the nuke-nin.

"**He is weak, manipulating others to gain power, Naruto and I can handle him," **Kakashi nodded. He knew that team eight would be training by now, so he headed in that direction.

XxXxXxX

Sakura and Sasuke found the Hokage in his office. They burst through the door, winded from their run and the fear coursing through them.

"What's going on?" Sarutobi asked, standing from his seat.

"We-we were attacked," Sasuke managed to gasp out.

"By whom?"

"I-Iwa-nin. Naruto ordered us to find someone," Sakura replied. "I think he was hurt by some weird jutsu." She finished.

'Iwa-nin, perhaps it's the same one from the report this morning that Tsume turned in to me.' Sarutobi thought. "What did the technique do to him?"

"Not sure, but, he was in a lot of pain and he was clutching his stomach," Sasuke said. Sarutobi's eyes widened.

'The seal!' Looking at the two children he smiled. They would made great ninja one day. "Take me to Naruto." He ordered. Nodding, the pair quickly led the Hokage out of his office.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi's guess was right, Kurenai's team was training. It looked like Kurenai was teaching her students in genjutsu.

"Kurenai!" He called to her.

"Oh, Kakashi, shouldn't you be with your students?" Kakashi ignored her question.

"It's about Naruto, may I borrow Hinata?" he asked.

"Sure, go with him Hinata," Hinata nodded and gave Kurenai a quick bow before following Kakashi.

"What's wrong with Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

"He's under attack. Kyuubi suggested I find you for help," the man told her.

"K-Kyuubi? What happened?"

"He was struck by some kind of technique that seems to have tweaked the seal; at this rate both of them will die,"

"We have to hurry then," Hinata pumped chakra into her eyes, and the veins bulged around them.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, you look like a normal Hyuuga," Kakashi commented. Hinata nodded. She could see a large amount of chakra being expended in the distance. It didn't take them long to arrive to where Naruto was. Hinata gasped at what she saw.

There stood Naruto, hunched over so low that he was practically down on all fours. Blood red chakra was wrapped around his body, forming the silhouette of a fox.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata took a timid step forward. It took Naruto a moment to recognize Hinata, and her gentle scent. When he did, his face took on a more placid look and he took a small step to her. Kakashi stepped forward in case Naruto decided to attack the girl.

"_**Hi-Hinata-chan,"**_ he whispered, stepping forward again. _**"My Hinata-chan, have you come to help me?"**_ He asked her.

"Yes, yes I have Naruto-kun," Hinata moved closer to Naruto, and reached out her hand. Naruto took it timidly; as if afraid he would hurt her with the simple action. Their fingers entwined and Hinata cried out softly when the red chakra burned her hand.

"Hinata, move away from him," Kakashi ordered. Hinata shook her head.

"_**We don't want to hurt you Hinata-chan,"**_ Naruto told her quietly.

"I'm not afraid to be hurt Naruto-kun,"

"God that makes me want to puke," they turned towards the nuke-nin. Naruto growled at the man and he fell silent, whimpering quietly.

"Etou, K-Kyuubi-san, can you hear me?" Hinata asked experimentally.

"**I can Hinata-chan,"** the low and gruff voice spoke through Naruto. It was strange hearing the voice of a full grown adult come from a boy.

"How can I help Naruto-kun?"

"**Your chakra needs to overpower mine,"**

"How? Yours is so much stronger than my chakra,"

"**We are severely weakened; even your chakra is stronger at this point," **Kyuubi explained to her. Hinata nodded. With a quick jerk, Naruto pulled Hinata closer and hugged her. She whimpered in pain but bit it down, knowing that whatever pain she was feeling was nothing compared to the pain Naruto and Kyuubi were going through. **"Feed your chakra into him now Hinata-chan!"** Kyuubi ordered. Hinata pressed her palms into Naruto's chest and let the chakra flow.

Kakashi saw the approach of his two other students, the Hokage, and two ANBU squads. They arrived on the scene and stared at Hinata and Naruto in a mix of shock and horror.

"H-Hokage-sama!"

"Arrest that man," Sarutobi ordered as soon as he spotted the Iwa nuke-nin. The ANBU stepped forward and knocked him out. "That boy has a knack at attracting nuke-nin to him doesn't he?" He wondered aloud. He then turned his attention to the two children locked in a tight embrace. After a moment of trying to hold it in, Naruto threw his head back and screamed. The chakra around him exploded, throwing everyone back. Kakashi caught Hinata, and once he saw that she was knocked out but uninjured he handed her off to an ANBU. He approached the small crater that was still smoking and saw that Naruto lay on the ground, curled up in a tight ball.

'He's alive. He's safe.' Kakashi sighed in relief. He moved closer to Naruto and saw the pain etched across the boy's face.

XxXxXxX

"_No, 'nii-san, don't leave me!" Naruto cried, reaching out for Kyuubi._

"_**I'm sorry Naruto, you won't be able to hear me for a little while, we are too weak, and any influence on my part could kill you,"**__ Kyuubi told him. __**"Don't worry; we'll be able to talk again soon."**_

"_I'll miss you 'nii-san, while you're gone," Naruto sobbed quietly._

"_**I'll miss you too little one,"**__ as Kyuubi finished speaking, his voice faded away and Naruto fell into a dreamless sleep._

XxXxXxX

Naruto had a surprising amount of visitors during his two-week long coma. Hinata and Iruka visited everyday, and always brought a fresh bouquet of beautiful flowers. The nurses wondered where the flowers came from—the Yamanaka flower shop didn't sell the flowers that they brought in. Naruto's teammates visited when they could, but Kakashi always stayed the longest. Even Konohamaru popped in when he had snuck out of class, only to be caught by Iruka when the man came in for his daily visit. Sarutobi also made it a point to come in. When he did on the second day of Naruto's stay in the hospital, he had been appalled to see that a few paranoid nurses had gone so far as to strap Naruto to the bed, "in the case that the demon should awaken and kill them all". Sarutobi had them promptly relocated for their ignorance.

It was now going in to the second week of Naruto's comatose state when he decided that he'd slept enough. Naruto's senses slowly returned to him. First it was his hearing; there was an incredibly annoying dripping sound near his ear that wouldn't stop. He swatted his arm only to wince when he tugged at the I.V. needle stuck in his arm. Next came his sense of smell, he smelled Kakashi in the room, and the faint scent of lavender and lilac wafted into his nose, telling him that Hinata had just left. Then, he got the feeling back in his body. The bed he was in was incredibly soft and comfortable, so much more so than the thin mattress in his apartment that had the odd spring poking him every once in a while. Finally, his sight returned. Everything was blurry at first – or was it just the fluorescent lighting momentarily blinding him.

"Oh, awake are we?" Naruto turned his head slightly to see Kakashi sitting in a chair, his nose buried in a book.

"Surprised you bothered to even come by," the blonde replied. Kakashi simply shrugged in response.

"You're my student, I have every right to visit an injured student in the hospital," he replied, flipping a page in his book.

"How can you read that crap?" Naruto finally asked.

"It's not crap, it is literature," Naruto rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Since when is porn literature?" he muttered. The door opened and a nurse entered. She jumped when she saw that Naruto was awake. "Hi there." He greeted her neutrally. The woman did her best to ignore him, and she bustled around the room, fixing things that needed fixing.

"I-I will inform the doctor he is awake," she told Kakashi before leaving the room. He nodded and stood up.

"I'll stay here until they're done with you; we wouldn't want them to try anything now would we?" Kakashi stowed his book away and waited for the doctor to enter.

When the man did arrive, he gave Naruto a gentle smile and asked him questions about how he felt.

"Really, I feel fine, a little stiff, but that's it," Naruto insisted as the doctor continued.

"Right. Of course, I need to run one final test Naruto-kun; your chakra coils were very badly damaged, I need to see if they healed properly or not," the doctor told him. Naruto realized that the man was being very kind to him.

"What's your name?" Naruto asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Oh, I'm Doctor Uematsu Ryoma," he replied giving Naruto a kind smile. Naruto sensed no malice in the man's actions; perhaps he could trust this man. "If you would just follow me for that quick little test, and then you'll be done."

"I can go home after this?"

"Not quite, I think one more day here should do it, you can go home tomorrow," Ryoma told him. Naruto pouted in response. Ryoma ruffled his hair affectionately. "Don't worry; you'll be out and about in no time." Kakashi watched the pair walk down the corridor.

'It would seem that Naruto has found one more person to add to that list of his.' Kakashi thought as he left the hospital.

**Sorry it's a few days late guys, I spent all weekend working on an English project, didn't have time to write. I'll try not to let it happen too much I promise. Anyway, tailedfox225 requested that I translate the chapter titles, so I will.**

**himitsu - secret**

**atarashii no chikara, atarashii no inochi - new power, new life**

**zutto soba ni - always near by**

**seizon shuuren - survival training**

**Okay, remember to review! Bye-bye for now!**


	6. Shiawase

Miru Koto nai

Chapter 6: Shiawase - Happiness

Sakura Hanamoto

"How's your hand Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, looking down at her heavily bandaged right hand.

"It's healing, the doctors tried to have a medic heal it, but there's still some foreign chakra in the wounds that are preventing it, so it has to heal slowly," Hinata replied. Both teams had been given the day off, and the pair was taking advantage of the opportunity to be in each other's company.

"At least it's getting better," Naruto tied the stems of two flowers together. He linked the two ends of the chain of flowers and placed it on Hinata's head as if it were a crown. "Thank you, for saving me Hinata-chan. We're both grateful to you." Naruto said. Hinata nodded, a small blush spreading across her cheeks. Naruto flopped onto the soft grass and stared up at the darkening sky. Hinata joined him, using his shoulder as a pillow.

"Have they figured out what that Iwa-nin did to you?" Hinata asked him quietly. Naruto sighed.

"No, the guy may not have much of a stomach for battle, but he won't talk during interrogations apparently," Naruto subconsciously rubbed small circles on his stomach where the seal was. "All anyone's been able to figure out is that it was made to mess with a person's personality, that's the main part of it. But because 'nii-san and I have been interacting, I guess the jutsu thought he was a second personality or something."

"That's why Kyuubi-san started to take over," Hinata murmured.

"Yeah, he didn't want to, and we were to a certain extent equally dominant in terms of who was controlling my body," Naruto hesitantly reached up and ran his fingers through Hinata's short hair. "But something else happened to me, there was another voice in my head. It was telling me to kill. I didn't want to do that."

"But you're safe now, and that's what matters most," Hinata told him, curling up and nuzzling Naruto's neck.

"Thanks to you Hinata-chan, I am safe," Naruto continued to run his fingers through her hair and Hinata had to hold back a yawn, she was feeling very sleepy now.

"I wish we could be together more often," Hinata said softly, taking in Naruto's scent. It smelled of the forest, and a bit like the flowers he grew in his garden.

"So do I, I especially miss the fact that you're a much nicer person than Haruno," the blonde told her. "I swear, that girl never seems to shut up." Hinata couldn't suppress her giggle. Hinata reached into the pocket of her pants and withdrew a small stack of photographs.

"Shino-kun took these pictures of Kiba-kun from the other day," Naruto took the stack and flipped through it, laughing continuously.

"We should definitely save these for blackmail," Naruto said, handing the pictures back to Hinata.

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Hinata rolled over onto her side and buried her nose into Naruto's neck. "Wake me up when it's time to go home." She murmured before falling asleep. Naruto turned his head slightly and caught the scent in her hair.

'This is nice, just being able to lay here and enjoy being in Hinata-chan's company,' he thought before closing his eyes and wrapping one arm around her shoulder. Naruto drifted off to sleep as well.

XxXxXxX

Naruto awoke to feel someone shaking him.

"Naruto-kun, wake up," Hinata said softly.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"It's late already," she told him. Hinata had instantly noticed the sudden change in temperature when she awoke and the lack of warmth on her skin from the sun.

Naruto looked around to see that the moon had already risen. "If we stay here, my father will send Branch members to find me, they might hurt you." Hinata said, worry lacing her tone.

"Okay, let's get you home before daddy blows a gasket," Naruto stood up and took Hinata's hand. They began the walk back to the village in silence. Hinata shivered from the cold. She had not worn her tan jacket for once; the day had been too warm for her to wear it comfortably. Naruto removed his own jacket and draped it over her shoulders. They halted when voices sounded through the dark. The veins and arteries around Hinata's eyes bulged as she allowed enough chakra to flow to her eyes.

"There's five of them, they could be enemies, they might not be, I can't tell," Hinata whispered. Naruto cursed softly. He sniffed the air, trying to catch a scent.

"They don't smell like an enemy, hell, they're making way too much noise to be foreign shinobi,"

"Over here!" Footsteps came at them, and from the darkness sprang Hizashi along with three more Branch members.

"Hinata-sama, are you okay?" one of them asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Hinata reassured them.

"Why were you out here so late?" Hizashi asked.

"I'm sorry Uncle, Naruto-kun and I fell asleep and did not realize how late it was," Hinata told her uncle in a quiet voice.

"Your father was worried, we must get you home immediately," Hizashi said.

"Of course," Hinata turned to Naruto.

"Its okay, go on with them, I can take care of myself," Naruto told her. "I'll see you later Hinata-chan." Hinata gave him a small smile before she was rushed off. "I hope I see you later." He whispered to himself.

XxXxXxX

"Hinata, I wish to speak to you after dinner," Hiashi said.

"Yes father," Hinata continued eating her meal in silence. Hanabi glanced between her father and sister, wondering what Hinata had done wrong this time. Everyone soon finished eating. Hanabi glanced back before hurrying back to her room.

"Hinata, I am sorry to have to inform you, and you must understand, it was the council's decision, not mine," Hiashi paused for a moment. He looked at his eldest, and saw not an ounce of fear reflected in her expression. "They feel that Uzumaki-san has been a negative influence on your behavior." It wasn't difficult for Hinata to figure out where this was going.

"Father, Naruto-kun has given me confidence, that is something I have been lacking in for a great deal of time, is it not?"

"I know Hinata, I know. Unfortunately, they have come to the decision that you are not to speak to Uzumaki-san again," Hiashi told her. The only emotion Hinata showed was the small intake of breath. Hinata felt like she wanted to cry, but refrained from doing so. It would do her no good to start crying.

"I understand father," she murmured.

"But," Hinata's head snapped up, "you have been recognized by the people of this village to be an adult." Hiashi glanced at her. "Therefore, I believe that you are capable of making your own decisions responsibly."

"Yes father, I am," Hinata told him.

"That's a good girl, just don't let them catch wind of it, I'm certain Uzumaki-san has passed on a few of his skills in terms of stealth," Hinata smiled. Naruto had indeed done that. "You may go now." Hinata bowed to her father and left the dining room, heading towards her room.

XxXxXxX

"Hey, 'jii-chan, can we please get a better mission?" Naruto asked, blinking at Sarutobi innocently, eyes wide and glazed over slightly as if he were about to cry.

'Great, the puppy dog eyes look, but it can't work on me; Konohamaru uses it way too often for it to have any effect anymore.' Sarutobi heaved a sigh.

"Naruto, you'll be assigned a higher ranked mission when your teacher feels that you are ready for it," Iruka lectured the boy.

"But Iruka-sensei, these D-rank missions are so boring," Naruto whined. Iruka opened his mouth to continue, but Naruto cut him off. "How are we supposed to gain experience, when all we're doing is child labor?" Naruto demanded. "That's what this is, child labor. Just because we get paid minimum wage doesn't change that fact!"

"Do you believe that you are ready for a better mission?" Sarutobi asked.

"Duh, I wouldn't be bitching if I didn't,"

"Language Naruto," Iruka scolded. Kakashi whacked the boy upside the head. "Thank you Kakashi-san."

"No problem," Kakashi's eye smiled at the younger man.

"I think I have the perfect mission for you then. There is a man who has requested bodyguards from bandits and the like as he makes his way home," Sarutobi dug through the assignment scrolls until he found what he was looking for. "Here we go, his name is Tazuna from Wave Country, he has hired out for bodyguards on his way home, and to remain with him until the completion of the bridge he is overseeing in his home land." Kakashi stepped forward and took the scroll. Sarutobi cleared his throat, ignoring Naruto's cheers of triumph. "Tazuna-san, you can come in now." An elderly man came through the door.

"You're giving me a bunch of brats?" he looked over the three genin skeptically. Naruto glared at the man and noted that the man was swaying slightly and smelled of sake. He took a step back from the man. Studying the man carefully, Naruto noted that he was slightly hunched over and his shoulders sagged. He seriously doubted that it had anything to do with the sake. Tazuna's eyes had a bit of a haunted, haggard look to them, as if he hardly had a good night's sleep in some time.

Over the years, Naruto had developed his senses enough to be able to tell what a person's intentions were. It had been his savior during his younger days when the villagers would trick him by treating him kindly, then attempting to kill him. The only emotions he could sense from the man were that of acute fear of something, he also sensed that the man was hiding something, but he couldn't be sure of what.

"I assure you Tazuna-san, you are in capable hands," Sarutobi told the man.

"Well, with introductions out of the way, Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto," each of them turned to look at Kakashi. "We will meet at the main gate tomorrow at eight o'clock, got it?" They nodded. "Good, dismissed." The three students filed out of the office and headed back to their homes.

XxXxXxX

Iruka found Naruto waiting for him at Ichiraku. He knew that the boy would be stuffing himself with as much ramen as was possible before he left on his first mission out of the village. Iruka sat down next to Naruto and looked at the boy. Naruto grinned at him.

"Your treat, right Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked slyly. Iruka chuckled and nodded. Naruto's grin widened and he quickly ordered two bowls of miso ramen.

"Have you seen Hinata lately?" Iruka asked the boy as they ate. Naruto swallowed the bite in his mouth before answering.

"I was with her yesterday afternoon," he replied.

"How has she been doing?"

"Hinata-chan's doing well,"

"How about your teams?"

"Well, we don't really talk about our teammates much, just to make fun of them. Except for Aburame, he's the only one that doesn't annoy us," Naruto told him. The blonde went back to eating.

"Naruto, I noticed that out of all of your classmates, the only one you address by first name is Hinata, why is that?" Iruka asked. It had been something that had been bugging him since he'd met the boy.

"Because Hinata-chan is the only one who has earned my complete respect and trust," Naruto told him.

"What about the adults you know?" Iruka was curious how he treated his superiors. This was a factor about Naruto he'd been unaware about.

"If I really respect an adult, I'll make up a nickname for them, like 'jii-chan, or I'll just address them like I should, like you Iruka-sensei," Naruto downed the broth in his bowl before demanding another one.

"What about Kakashi-san?"

"He's either just Hatake, or maybe if I'm in a good mood, Hatake-sensei," Naruto quickly devoured the fresh bowl of ramen.

"Why's that?"

"I can see it in how he acts around me, he doesn't like me," Naruto said in a serious tone. Iruka was going to speak up but Naruto continued on. "He doesn't hate me to the degree that the villagers do, but there's still hate there when I'm nearby. Of everyone in the village, the one person who has the right to really hate me doesn't, which makes me happy." Naruto looked up at his former teacher.

Silence fell between them, only broken by the sounds of them eating, and Naruto ordering more bowls of ramen. He truly felt happy being where he was, eating his favorite food with some of his favorite people, all that was missing was the girl he called his best friend. Naruto finished his tenth bowl, but did not order another one.

"Iruka-sensei, can I ask you a question?" Iruka looked over at him.

"Go ahead,"

"Have you ever tried to adopt me?" Iruka blinked in surprise at the sudden question. He had come to think of Naruto as his son, but he never expected the boy to ask him about it.

"I did, when you were nine," Iruka replied. "The council refused the request, saying it was inappropriate and favoritism, because I was your teacher."

"Why not try again? I'm not your student anymore; they don't have an excuse to say no," Naruto told him. Iruka smiled.

"All right, I will, it might take a while, the Chuunin exam is coming up in a couple months so the village is going to be really busy getting ready for it," Iruka told him. Naruto smiled and jumped on the man, hugging him tightly. Naruto let go of Iruka and quickly ordered one more bowl before heading off.

"Bye Iruka-sensei, I'll see you later," Naruto ran off, smiling. 'Family. Finally, someone I can really call family.' He thought as he ran towards the Hyuuga compound, hoping to see Hinata and talk before he left the next morning.

XxXxXxX

Hinata ducked under Shino's punch and pivoted on her left foot, spinning around and brought her right leg in aiming for Shino's unguarded midsection. Shino blocked the kick and countered. Hinata performed a quick back handspring to create some distance between herself and Shino. Taking a deep calming breath, Hinata slipped back into her taijutsu stance. A small burst of chakra found it's way to her eyes, sharpening her vision and helped her bring Shino's form into focus.

Kurenai watched the pair spar. Hinata was improving quickly; with her natural flexibility, she was able to pull of strikes that most could not. Because it was just a sparring match, it helped Hinata with her eyes. In order to attack an opponent not utilizing chakra, Hinata was required to use more chakra to help her see. It was easy to see an enemy using a technique because of the chakra being expelled and the residue it left behind. Hinata was forced to use more chakra, and more control this way. The girl's control was very good to start with, but with an exercise such as this, Hinata could improve much faster.

Kurenai heaved a sigh, if only Hinata could see normally, the girl be a truly dangerous force. But as it was, Hinata could not, so that put her at a disadvantage; until the girl's chakra reserves increased there was only so much she could do. Shino charged in, drawing a kunai. Hinata ducked and dodged around Shino's attempted strikes. The blade was something that could not be seen and that made the weapon all the more dangerous. After a failed slash, Hinata took a chance, crouching low, and using her hands alone to balance, Hinata kicked out at Shino.

Shino easily sidestepped one of her whirling legs but was clipped by her other one. Hinata sprang up from her upside down position, as she came back to the ground, she threw her weight, causing herself to spin and land more blows on the boy. Shino stumbled and Hinata came in fast, striking him in the heart, but not using any chakra to injure him. After a moment's standstill they moved apart as Kurenai approached them.

"Well done you two, you're improving Hinata, I'm proud of you," Kurenai praised them. Hinata ducked her head to hide her blush. "Well, it's a pity Kiba wasn't here today because I'll treat you two to dinner, how does that sound?" She asked the pair. Hinata hesitated in answering, but the groan sounding from her stomach answered for her, her blush deepened. Kurenai smiled at her.

"I will come as well," Shino replied when Kurenai looked at him.

"Great, where do you guys want to eat?" the woman asked as they left the training grounds.

XxXxXxX

Hinata walked home after dinner, enjoying the warm evening air. Dinner had been a quiet affair with her teacher and teammate; without Kiba to run his mouth off every few minutes, it was pleasant. She allowed a small smile to cross her face when she remembered the reason as to why Kiba had missed meetings three times in the last week.

When he failed to arrive, they had gone to his house to see what was wrong. Kiba's older sister had answered the door and had quickly pulled Hinata into an embrace, congratulating the girl on finally shutting up her little brother. Hinata had been so shocked that she hadn't been able to completely respond to the older girl. Hana had then explained that Kiba was too ashamed and afraid to show his face, much to their amusement. Now she walked along, thinking that she rather liked the Inuzuka girl.

Hinata paused when she felt a breeze blow by her, bringing Naruto's scent with it.

"Hinata-chan!" the boy's call reached her ears and she waited. Naruto ran right up to her and swept the girl into his arms, hugging her tightly, lifting her a few inches off the ground.

"N-Naruto-kun?" she was stunned by his actions. Naruto set her back down.

"Sorry Hinata-chan, I'm just so happy today!" Naruto declared. "First, 'jii-chan finally agreed to give my team a C-rank mission, and then Iruka-sensei told me that he'd try to adopt me." He hugged her again.

"That's great Naruto-kun," Hinata smiled at the boy. In her opinion, there was no one else that deserved to be as happy as Naruto right now.

"Anyway, I probably won't see you today, so I came to say good-bye until I got back from my mission—it might last a couple days," Naruto told her. "We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"Okay Naruto-kun, maybe when you get back, we can go out and do something fun," Hinata suggested.

"Definitely, good night Hinata-chan," Naruto gave her one last hug before hurrying away, stretching his senses out in search of a spying Hyuuga. He didn't trust Hinata's family all that much; he knew that they didn't like her hanging out with him, so he was just a little wary of them.

He made it back to his apartment building and said hello to the little old landlady. She was nice enough, if a bit forgetful and had an odd habit of calling him Minato whenever she saw him. He corrected her every time, but she insisted on calling him Minato.

"Hello Minato-kun, how are you doing today?" she asked him as she swept out the first floor hallway.

"I'm fine Kanako-'baa-chan and I'm Naruto," he told her with a smile.

"That's good, have a good evening Minato-kun," Naruto sighed, a small smile on his face and he shook his head in defeat.

"You too," Naruto climbed the stairs all the way to the top floor and made it into his apartment before any of the neighbors could try and corner him. Naruto quickly changed out of his clothes, dove into the worn old mattress, and waited for sleep to come to him.

When it didn't, he sighed and stared up at the dark ceiling.

'Hey, Kyuubi-'nii-san, you there?' he asked. He didn't really expect to get an answer from Kyuubi yet. When there was none, Naruto closed his eyes and listened. Though it'd been an entire week since the incident, he had yet to hear from the demon. And frankly, Naruto felt very alone without that comforting presence in the back of his mind. In the few weeks since he first heard Kyuubi for the first time in years, he had been so happy to have someone who would always listen to him, but now, without the demon's occasional comments and teasing, he felt more alone than he ever had. Naruto may have had Hinata as a friend, and Iruka as a father figure, but Kyuubi was different, he seemed to truly understand Naruto.

Finally, Naruto's thoughts ceased and he fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

XxXxXxX

Naruto was practically bouncing around in excitement. He'd never been outside the boundaries of the village in his life and was looking forward to the experience. Sasuke glowered at the blond in irritation. Although he'd never openly admit it, he was just as excited as Naruto was. He cast a short glance at his one female teammate and wasn't surprised to see a small amount of nervousness and fear in her expression.

Eight o'clock came and went, and there was no sign of Kakashi or Tazuna yet. Naruto calmed down quickly enough and settled for a silent but clear death glare at the direction of the village. It wasn't long before the other two joined him in the glaring at nothing.

"Hello my minions," Kakashi greeted them, Tazuna standing just behind him. Kakashi raised his one visible eyebrow at the three. He found himself facing the incinerating glare of his three students. Sakura's glare was nothing, a simple task to ignore for him. Even the patented Uchiha Glare of Ultimate Demise was easy to shrug off, but he'd never seen Naruto glare with so much emotion radiating off of him, and putting him with the other two made the glaring rather unsettling. "Sorry we're late, there was this kitten stuck in a tree and we had to-." He was cut off when the glares intensified. "I'm just going to shut up now." He muttered. Kakashi walked towards Izumo and Kotetsu who were in charge of gate duty for the morning and signed his team out.

"Man, triple threat glare, scary," Izumo muttered as Kakashi walked away from them.

"You're telling me, glad I'm not him," Kotetsu replied.

"Well, that's taken care of, let's head out," Kakashi motioned for them to start walking and they did. The atmosphere lightened and the three genin ceased their glaring.

Much to Kakashi's relief, it didn't take long for his students to fall back into their regular patterns. Sakura would either stare, or attempt to flirt with Sasuke, the dark haired boy would in turn, shoot her down. Sakura then took her frustration for being rejected out on Naruto, only to have him insult Sasuke who was inevitably drawn into the crossfire to defend his pride.

Sakura was staring again, and it was getting hard for Sasuke to not hit her to get her to stop. Finally, he whirled around, grinding his teeth in aggravation.

"Dammit Haruno, quit staring, I'm not going to do a fucking trick for you!" he cried. Everyone halted at his out burst. Sakura blinked in shock at the Uchiha.

"What do you mean Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked quietly. Sasuke sighed and ran an agitated hand through his hair.

"I. Am. A. Human. Being," he hissed. "Not some circus animal for you to gawk at. Nor am I a prize to be won by a bunch of annoying little girls that, most of which, didn't even make it to the rank of genin. Out of every single girl from that entire class that did not piss me off was the Hyuuga girl, and that was only because she just doesn't talk much. You're annoying and an eyesore." Sasuke took a breath and could feel his anger dissipating. "So, do me a favor and shut the hell up. And leave me _alone_." Sasuke finished his tirade and went back to walking.

'That was unexpected,' Kakashi thought in surprise. For the past month, he had been evaluating each of his students and comparing his observations of them with the Academy records. So far, Sakura and Sasuke had kept to it, until now with Sasuke's minor explosion. Naruto had been the only one who behaved contrary to what the records said.

According to the file on Sasuke, his first year at the Academy, he'd been open with others and more relaxed, but after that first year, everything had gone down hill. With the murder of his clan, his entire personality seemed to just die. He was no longer a child willing to laugh, smile, or even play with others. The boy closed in on himself, shutting everyone out. He had been that way since then.

Sakura had also gone through a change early on in her Academy training. She'd started out as a very shy girl, and afraid to draw attention to herself. After a while that changed, she became more willing to speak up and out. That had remained the same and would probably stay that way for a while.

Naruto, well, he was a different breed altogether. His records described him as loud, obnoxious, and an attention-seeking brat. So far, Naruto exhibited these qualities only under certain circumstances, usually when he was angry or at least annoyed. All other times, he was very calm, and a willing listener. No doubt, they were qualities he'd picked up from Hinata. He also appeared to be much smarter than he let on to be. He remembered looking at Naruto's graduation test and was amused by most of Naruto's answers. The boy had received a slightly below average grade, but that was because most of the answers he gave were rather unorthodox, and Iruka hadn't been the one grading it. He remembered the question and answer perfectly. _Who was Tsunade and what was her contribution to the shinobi community? _Naruto's answer had not gotten him any credit despite he'd had actually answered the question correctly. _I don't give a crap who Tsunade was, sure she was the Shodaime's granddaughter, and she was supposed to be the greatest medic Konoha every produced, but that's not going to save me on the battlefield. _

Kakashi chuckled to himself, his students were rather entertaining to say the least, and he just hoped that they could learn to work together properly as they went on more missions together. They continued on their way to Wave Country, now in complete silence. As they walked, only two members of the group noticed the rather obvious puddle in the middle of the road.

**The only reason this chapter is so late is because my iPod is very distracting. But, I've already started on Chapter 7, so hopefully the wait isn't too long.**

**On another note: _Wry Bread_ has pointed out my excessive use of commas. I'll try and fix that from now on.**


	7. Shinobi wa Tatakai no Naka

Miru Koto nai

Chapter 7: Shinobi wa Tatakai no Naka – Shinobi Battle Within the Mist

Sakura Hanamoto

Ever since Naruto had departed on his new C-rank mission, Hinata had had a constant unsettling feeling in her body. It was as if something terrible was about to happen and there wasn't a single thing she could do about it. Hinata had been so fixated on her thoughts that she failed to notice the cat that was coming right at her.

"Hinata!" Kurenai called to the girl. Hinata snapped out of it just in time to catch the cat in her arms and hold on tightly. Kiba and Akamaru ceased their pursuit, breathing heavily. The feline calmed down in Hinata's embrace and she stroked his fur gently. 

"Thank God, I thought we'd never catch that damn thing," Kiba gasped as he tried to catch his breath, Akamaru barking in agreement. The cat hissed at the pup in response, and Akamaru promptly dove into Kiba's jacket. The boy growled at the cat, and it tried to claw at him from its place in Hinata's arms. Shino approached the cat and carefully rested his hand on his back. A Kikaichuu bug crawled its way out from under his sleeve and burrowed into the cat's fur.

"Target confirmation?" Kurenai asked.

"It's Tora the cat, sensei," Shino replied. 

"Good, meet back at the rendezvous point." With that said, the three genin left the forests surrounding Konoha, all the while the cat glared at Kiba and Akamaru, both glowered back with just as much disgust poured into it.

XxXxXxX 

Tora began struggling in Hinata's grip as they approached the mission room. He knew what was coming and he was very aware of the evil that lay beyond that door. He also knew that it was futile to escape now—Tora would wait, bide its time, and then when that vile hag least expected it, he would run, only to be captured again. Tora seriously considered biting the hand of the girl that held him, but the girl was so much kinder than any of the other ones that captured him. She held him like a loving owner would, not too tightly, but tightly enough that he wouldn't fall from her arms unexpectedly.

The older female opened the door and the three young ones filed into the room that held Tora's greatest nemesis.

"Tora-chan, my Tora-chan!" Tora's struggling began anew as a large overzealous female grabbed him and began to choke the life from his body.

'Squeeze harder, harder!' Kiba thought, praying that the woman would do so. Hinata gave Tora a few reassuring strokes, hoping to calm the cat a bit.

"Thank you so much for finding my Tora-chan!" she cried. The woman stuffed the cat into his carrier, walked up to the desks and handed a chuunin her payment for the mission. She gave the team a smile before leaving, Tora meowing loudly from inside his carrier.

With that mission over, Team Eight was not assigned another for the day, and Kurenai quickly ushered her charges off for training. As they walked along towards the training grounds, Kurenai fell into step with her one female student.

"Is there something wrong Hinata?" Kurenai asked with concern clear in her tone.

"No sensei," Hinata replied. Kurenai knew better, she had done her own fair share of worrying when someone she cared about was away.

"Now Hinata, you know you can talk to me about it," the woman told her. "It's about Naruto's mission isn't it?" Hinata faced her.

"Y-yes," the dark haired girl replied.

"You're worried about him?" Hinata nodded.

"Since the morning he left, I feel like something really bad is going to happen to him," Hinata said softly. "No matter what I do, I just can't stop thinking about it. You don't think anything will happen do you?" Hinata wrapped her arms around her midsection in a sort of hug.

"Well, the mission is a relatively easy one. Even for the newest of genin, bandits wouldn't be a problem," Kurenai told her. "But, on a rare occasion, the rank of the mission may go up due to unforeseen circumstances." This statement made Hinata's stomach sink. "I really doubt they'll have any trouble, Kakashi has a very high reputation outside the village; they'll be fine." 

Hinata really, really wished that she felt better, but now, she only felt worse.

XxXxXxX

Naruto had taken the rear guard, but upon passing the large and conspicuous puddle, he picked up his pace and walked beside Kakashi.

"Hatake, the puddle," Naruto whispered.

"I know, it's too obvious," Kakashi replied. Naruto fell back until he was rear guard again and waited. The sudden appearance of two nearly identical scents told him that the enemy had made their move. Two shinobi charged forward, Naruto watched their movements carefully, observing. They were fast, faster than an average Chuunin. None of the students had time to react before Kakashi was immobilized, and right before their eyes, he was shredded to pieces. Sakura screamed in shock as blood and bits of flesh and cloth splattered across the ground.

"One down," one of the enemies murmured as they charged at Naruto. The blonde did not hesitate a moment, Naruto leapt up to dodge the chain that tied them together. Twisting in midair, he launched a pair of kunai at them. Both kunai missed the duo, but managed to thread through the links in the chair, pinning it to a tree. The pair were about to pull it free when a shuriken pinned it further, with a kunai to hold it in place. The two glared at Sasuke, and broke from the chain, charging at the frozen Tazuna. 

Sakura jumped forward with a kunai drawn to defend herself. Sasuke stepped in the way just as they prepared to strike. Naruto could smell the poison on the gauntlets and jumped between the brothers. He hooked his arms into their bent ones, gluing himself to the ground with chakra.

The brothers were stronger than Naruto and kept on moving. Suddenly, they were jerked back and Naruto fell to the ground. Kakashi stood above them, easily gripping the collars of their shirts and smashed their heads together, knocking them out.

"Hmm, I should have stepped in sooner," Kakashi mumbled. Naruto looked back at where Kakashi had been and saw several log sections lying on the ground."Well, not bad you three. You reacted well, considering this was your first real battle." His single eye smiled at them. He surveyed each student, taking in their expressions. Naruto and Sasuke looked only slightly winded, while the panic in Sakura's eyes was dying away. Kakashi noted the rather long cut on Naruto's arm. It traveled from the back of his hand and halfway up his forearm, and was bleeding a great deal. "Now, why would two chuunin level ninja from Kiri attack?" Kakashi asked. Only Naruto noted the increase in Tazuna's nervousness.

"Why don't you ask him?" Naruto jerked his head towards the old man.

"Yes, why don't we? Care to explain Tazuna-san?" Kakashi asked. Tazuna gulped audibly. "While you're, let's take a look at Naruto's injury." Kakashi said. Naruto raised an eyebrow, he hadn't noticed the fact that he was bleeding until now.

"It's poisoned," Naruto announced. Sakura and Sasuke blinked in surprise. "I can smell it." Naruto pulled a kunai and stabbed himself in the hand.

"What the hell?" Sakura gasped as more blood flowed from the open wound.

"I'm bleeding it out, duh," Naruto told her. "Got any bandages Hatake-sensei?" Kakashi nodded and began digging into his pack for the bandages. He unrolled some and carefully started wrapping them around Naruto's wounded arm. Everyone was looking towards Tazuna now, waiting for him to begin. Because of this distraction, only Kakashi noticed that Naruto's wound was healing itself slowly.

'Kyuubi must be healing his body already,' Kakashi tied off the bandages and nodded to himself. "That should do it Naruto, try not to open the cut up again." Kakashi turned to Tazuna. "Explain, now." Tazuna sighed and began his long explanation.

"Man that sucks," Naruto muttered when Tazuna explained the situation.

"That settles it, we're turning around," Kakashi said.

"What?" Tazuna looked at the jounin in shock and fear.

"This kind of mission is too much for my students. This mission has already escalated to a B-rank, we need to go back and you have to tell the Hokage that you lied to him." 

"We can't! The village was barely able to put together enough money to pay for you guys," Tazuna cried. "We can't afford a higher level team!"

"There's no other option." Kakashi's tone left no room for argument.

"No!" Naruto's sudden interruption caused Kakashi and Tazuna to look at him. "We have to keep going." The blonde said.

"Naruto," Kakashi began, but Naruto cut him off.

"If we back down from this mission, how can we call ourselves shinobi?" Naruto asked him.

"This mission is too much for you, and I don't want to risk you guys getting killed."

"He has a point though. What was the purpose of leaving the Academy when we won't even be allowed to prove our skills to you?" Sasuke questioned. Sakura nodded. She didn't really want to agree but she didn't want to be a coward either. Kakashi sighed.

"Looks like I'm outvoted here." He was worried about this mission now, but he'd just have to work extra hard to make sure that his students stayed safe. "We keep moving." The two Kiri-nin had chosen that opportunity to regain consciousness. One of them let out a low moan, his head lolling about a bit.

"Sensei," Sakura called attention to the pair. Kakashi stood over them, his imposing form easily intimidating the two of them.

"How did you find us out?" one asked slowly.

"Easy, a puddle in the middle of the road when it hasn't rained in weeks is a dead giveaway," Kakashi explained, his voice holding just a small bit of humor in it. "There should be a patrol of ANBU coming by tomorrow evening, they'll pick you and make sure you're in good hands." With that said, Kakashi knocked them out again. "Right, let's get moving. We need to get into Wave Country as quickly and silently as possible." They set out once more, hoping to reach the destitute nation soon.

XxXxXxX

Naruto sat up in his sleeping bag and looked around him. It was the middle of the night, and everyone but himself and Kakashi was asleep. The jounin was currently in the middle of his shift of keeping watch.

"Naruto, go back to sleep," Kakashi whispered to him.

"Can't sleep," Naruto replied. "I don't feel comfortable."

"About what?" Kakashi moved to sit next to the blonde.

"I still can't hear him," the boy murmured. "I can't hear 'nii-san. I know he's there, but he doesn't answer me when I call him."

"I think it's time for you to tell me who he is," Kakashi told him gently. He didn't want Naruto to snap at him.

"Kyuubi 'nii-san,'" said Naruto. That single phrase caught Kakashi off guard.

"You-?"

"Kyuubi 'nii-san has always been there for me, even during the times when he remained silent, letting me live out my life without any influence from him," the boy said softly.

"What happened?"

"Last week, that Iwa-nin, that's what happened," 

"How does this affect your ability to sleep?"

"Even in my sleep, I can hear him snoring. I haven't had a good night's sleep since then. I've gotten so used to his presence, for him not to be there is difficult."

'Must be hard, having a voice in your head,' Kakashi thought. "How often do you two interact?"

"He makes fun of me sometimes, provides commentary on things people say, and cracks jokes when I'm trying to concentrate so that I start laughing. Argues with me about things, overall, he plays the role of an older brother quite well," Naruto smiled slightly, clearly remembering something. "I miss him." Naruto admitted.

"Why did he," Kakashi hesitated, "go away?"

"His chakra was damaging my body, so in order for things to be set right, he pulled out any and all influence he had on my body,"

"Now that's not true," Kakashi said.

"What?" Naruto's head came up quickly. In answer, Kakashi took Naruto's arm and unwrapped the bandages. Naruto saw that the wound had completely closed, and all it left was a faint red line that would also disappear soon enough. Kakashi watched as Naruto's eyes became slightly glazed over and he remained this way for a minute or so before finally moving again. "He still won't answer, it's like there's something blocking me from reaching. Like someone closed and locked the door and threw the key away so I couldn't get in."

"Do you feel better now that you know he's still taking care of you?" Kakashi asked. Naruto nodded.

"I think I'll get back to sleep now," Naruto shifted in his bag and lay back down. He closed his eyes and heard Kakashi move away from him. "Thanks for your help Hatake-sensei." He whispered before finally falling into Sleep's waiting arms.

XxXxXxX

Hinata knew that there was a Branch member following her, watching her every move. The Hyuuga that tracked her was skilled in stealth, but could not escape Hinata's naturally heightened sense of smell. The girl had little doubt that this was the doing of the clan council; they wanted to be certain that she wasn't sneaking around with Naruto. Maybe, if Naruto was away long enough and this Branch member reported that Hinata had not spoken to Naruto in the time he or she was watching her, maybe they'd give up on it. Hinata really hoped that that would be the case.

Hinata turned a corner and made a dash for the village boundaries. Upon reaching the tree line, she leapt up and quickly made her way through the trees to Naruto's garden. It didn't take Hinata long to find the place, and she had been successful in evading her second shadow. The blind girl sat among the flowers and breathed deeply, taking in all the wondrous scents that they all carried. Allowing herself to relax, Hinata shifted into a comfortable position and closed her eyes to meditate.

She breathed deeply, and slowly released it, doing this for some time before all distractions left her mind. She no longer worried for Naruto's safe return, or the Branch member tailing her, or even of her family trying to slowly break her down until she just chose to give up. The scent of the flowers faded into the background, as did the sound of the birds perched in the trees around the clearing. Hinata's muscles slowly relaxed and her mind became clear of all thought. Her breathing remained deep and even, one would have thought her to be asleep at first glance, but she was more than aware of her surroundings. It was just Hinata, and her breathing; only an attack could have made her move.

XxXxXxX

The only sound made by the group was the light splashing of the oar plunging into the water, propelling the boat forward.

"We'll be seeing the bridge soon enough," Tazuna announced softly. Sure enough, the huge structure loomed above the party, obscured slightly by the heavy mist that hung over the waters. Naruto stared up in awe at the bridge, it was truly enormous. The oarsman moved a little faster, afraid of being captured by any of Gatou's men.

It wasn't long before he dropped them off, and they wished him luck for his journey back across the water.

"My place is just past the village," Tazuna told them. He began to lead the way towards his home, a little glad to have made it this far with his head still attached to the rest of him. 

"Remember what I told you three, if there is a sign of an attack, your objective is to protect Tazuna. If I order you to run and take him with you, you do it, is that understood?" Kakashi lectured the children. All three nodded an affirmative. Naruto sniffed the air curiously; something was making his nose itch and he wanted to know what it was. Drawing a kunai and throwing it into some bushes, he caught everyone's attention.

"What the hell are you doing you idiot?" Sakura roared, flinging a fist at him. Naruto took the hit but shook it off easily.

"I smelled something there, in the bushes," he replied, pointing. Kakashi found the spot where Naruto had thrown the kunai and all he saw was a spooked rabbit. He picked it by the ears and showed it to them.

"It's just a rabbit," he told them. Sakura began another tirade and hit Naruto on the head again. 'Its fur is still white, that's not right. It's the middle of spring, why would it still have its winter coat?' Kakashi pondered the thought before placing the rabbit back on the ground and watched it bolt off. 'That was a Kawarimi, an animal kept in a cage and indoors.' As he was coming to this conclusion, he sensed a new chakra signature that was spiking. "Get down!" He cried. A huge blade whipped through the air, coming at them quickly. Sakura and Sasuke dove to the ground while Naruto tackled Tazuna. The blade buried itself halfway into the truck of a tree.

There was a blur of movement and a tall man came to rest upon the flat of the huge sword. 

"This guy is practically radiating killing intent," Naruto mumbled.

"Stay back, this is a jounin; way above your level of skill," Kakashi ordered. His students did so; Sakura and Sasuke moving a bit sluggishly due to the weight of killing intent. Naruto was no stranger to it and had an easier time moving around, wasting no time in studying the newcomer carefully. He was dressed in baggy camouflage patterned pants, and he wore no shirt. There were bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face, covering his nose and mouth, and his forehead protector was tied in a bit of lopsided way, a slash cutting through the symbol engraved upon the metal. What Naruto found strange was his apparent lack of eyebrows.

'This guy, he's killed a lot of people,' Naruto thought. The man smelled as if he _bathed_ in blood.

"What's this? A bunch of green ninja wannabes? What a joke," he was clearly unimpressed with the three genin, but Kakashi certainly had his attention. "If it isn't the famous Sharingan Hatake Kakashi, well this isn't a wonderful surprise." Kakashi slid into a defensive stance, hand hovering near the kunai holster at his thigh. 

'What the hell? The Sharingan?' Sasuke looked over at Kakashi in confusion. 'How's that possible?' 

"And you are Momochi Zabuza I presume," Kakashi replied. 'This is going to be a tough fight. Looks like I'm going to need a little extra help with it.' Kakashi reached up to his forehead protector and pushed it up. "Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, protect Tazuna, no matter what. If I tell you to run, you do it." The three genin nodded and quickly surrounded Tazuna.

"Heh, I get to see the famous Sharingan so soon. I feel honored," Zabuza commented before leaping from his place, taking the zanbatou with him. He disappeared for a moment, and a thick mist settled over the area.

"Damn, he's using Kirigakure no Jutsu," Kakashi turned back to his students to check on them.

"Wh-what is this, Sensei?" Sakura asked nervously.

"Momochi Zabuza is an expert at silent assassination. You won't notice you're dead until you are. This technique, it's just a part of his strategy."

_"Liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, neck vein, brain, kidneys and heart. So many vital places, which shall I choose?" _Zabuza's voice echoed through the mist, and a miasma of killing intentaccompanied his chilling words. Sakura's knees shook as they threatened to give out on her, and Sasuke began to tremble and sweat. Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine. Certainly he was accustomed to such a feeling, but never before had he felt it so strongly. 

"Don't worry you three, I don't let my comrades die," Kakashi gave them a small smile. But the small break was short lived.

Kakashi's eyes widened as Zabuza penetrated the defenses of the genin with ease, and he was ready to swing his blade to cleave Tazuna in half. Kakashi rushed, plunging a kunai deep into Zabuza's midsection. The kids jumped back in surprise and fear. Another Zabuza crept up behind Kakashi, poised to strike. Naruto hastily cried out a warning to the man.

"I've got you." 

The Zabuza that Kakashi had stabbed melted into a puddle of water and Kakashi took the blow. Sakura screamed, but to her relief, Kakashi had also been a clone. From behind the real Zabuza, Kakashi appeared, pressing a kunai to his throat."You lose Zabuza."

"I think not. After all, I'm not an easy man to kill." Zabuza kicked Kakashi, sending him flying towards the nearby lake. Kakashi bounced through the water before coming to a halting crouch on the water's surface.

'How are they doing that?' Sakura thought as Zabuza followed the silver haired jounin.

"Trying to escape to the water was a big mistake," Zabuza came to a stop in front of Kakashi.

"Shit, why's the water so damn heavy?" Kakashi muttered.

"I have you trapped in my technique," he explained. Water rose up around Kakashi and encased him in a sphere. "This technique was especially created to trap enemies, and ensure that they cannot escape."

'Damn.'

"Now to finish my job - Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu." Several water clones came together and rushed at the genin.

"Run! Run and take Tazuna-san with you! The clones can't go too far from the original!" Kakashi ordered.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" three of Naruto's clones appeared for every one of Zabuza's. "We don't abandon comrades, and that includes you Hatake." Naruto responded. The Kage Bunshins charged and easily took down the Mizu Bunshins. Soon all that was left was a single Mizu Bunshin, and Naruto jumped in to attack. The Mizu Bunshin drew his zanbatou and knocked away Naruto and his clones. Naruto skidded backwards and landed near Sasuke.

"Naruto, it's going to take a lot more than that to free Kakashi," Sasuke stated.

"I know, but I've got an idea," Naruto rummaged through Sasuke's supplies and found what he was looking for. "Catch." Sasuke smirked as he caught the large folded shuriken, unfolded it, and launched it. The fuuma shuriken came at the Mizu Bunshin who showed no signs of worry until the oversized weapon veered away, aiming straight for Zabuza. 

"That's too easy," Zabuza reached out and easily caught the shuriken, only to realize that there was a second one hiding beneath the first. He didn't hesitate and jumped up to dodge. The shuriken flew by him and in a puff of smoke, Naruto was revealed. He drew a kunai and threw it. In response, Zabuza launched the shuriken at him. Zabuza began to move and dodge the kunai, but it managed to cut shallowly into his cheek. He went through with the movement only to realize that he'd freed Kakashi in the process.

A strangled cry sounded over the area as the fuuma shuriken cut into Naruto's side. He fell into the water with a splash, but did not resurface.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed in shock. Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw the blonde go down and Kakashi stood frozen for a moment. Kakashi ran towards where Naruto had fallen, but was stopped by Zabuza.

"Your opponent is me Kakashi, let us end this!" Zabuza began forming seals, and Kakashi instinctively copied them, even if he was more concerned about the well being of his student.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" the water gathered around them and collided in a watery explosion that knocked the ones on shore off their feet and caused Naruto's remaining clones to disperse.

XxXxXxX

Hinata gasped and took a heavy blow from Kiba in the middle of a spar. She fell to the ground but hardly noticed.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Kiba looked at her worriedly.

"N-Naruto-kun," she whispered.

"Hinata!" Kurenai and Shino approached quickly. As soon as Kurenai saw that Hinata was in distress, she dismissed the boys and knelt down beside Hinata. "Hinata, what happened?"

"I-I d-don't know. One moment I was fine and the next, it was like I got stabbed in the ribs. I think Naruto-kun is-is hurt," Hinata began to cry and leaned against Kurenai. "Is there something we can do? Is there?" she asked desperately. Kurenai rubbed circles against Hinata's back in an attempt to comfort her.

"I don't think so Hinata. We'd have to get orders from Hokage-sama to do anything," Kurenai told her. "Besides, Naruto-kun is tough, I'm sure he'll be fine." Hinata nodded, buttears continued to stream down her cheeks.

XxXxXxX

Naruto continued to sink farther and farther into the lake. It hurt, it hurt a lot, and the pain stunned him. He couldn't move.

**"DAMN IT NARUTO! SNAP OUT OF IT!" **an annoyed voice yelled, the voice echoing within his brain.

'K-Kyuubi 'nii-san?' Naruto slowly opened his eyes to the murky depths of the water.

**"No, it's Inari-daimyojin."**

'Who?'

**"Never mind, pull that damn shuriken out of your side and get back to the surface."**

'Oh yeah, I got hit by Uchiha's fuuma shuriken.'

**"No shit!"** Naruto reached for the shuriken and yanked it out. Heat rushed through his body as Kyuubi's youki set to work healing his injury. He shivered at the feeling. If he could have described it, he would have said it felt like…well, he couldn't really describe it, it just felt that good. As soon as Naruto began swimming for the surface, the water began to churn violently around him. He could feel the chakra flowing through the water and cursed, barely managing to escape the water as two great techniques clashed together. The force of the impact knocked him around and he handed on the bank of the lake. He felt a loud crack and skin tear.

'Shit! What broke now?'

**"A rib and it's poking through your skin,"** Naruto shuddered. **"I can't heal it until the bone is set."**

'Damn, looks like I'm down for the count,' this was Naruto's last coherent thought before he blacked out.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke rushed to check on Naruto, and his eyes widened at the sight of one of Naruto's ribs protruding from his side. He grabbed Naruto by the arms and carefully dragged him back to where Tazuna and Sakura stood. Tazuna blanched at the side of the injured blond. They failed to notice that Naruto's previous injuries were gone.

"Give me a hand here, we need to try and set the bone," Sakura nodded and despite the queasy feeling in her stomach, she knelt down beside Sasuke to help. Sasuke took a kunai and cut Naruto's shirt open. He carefully maneuvered the torn article of clothing away from Naruto's injury. "Do you happen to know how we can do this?" Sasuke asked Sakura. She shook her head.

"We were all taught basic first aid, but this is something that can't be treated so easily," Sakura murmured as she removed her backpack and began searching for the medical supplies she had. She came out with a few things, in hopes of them being useful. "Hold him still Sasuke-kun; I'm going to try it." Sasuke nodded and held Naruto down by the shoulders. Sakura reached carefully down to where the rib was protruding from the flesh, and with a quick push, she heard it slide and crack back into place.

"Now what?"

"Let me just get some of the anti-septic on the wound," Sakura's eyebrows knitted in concentration as she spread the liquid-like cream over the gash. "Hold him up." Sakura began to tightly wind a roll of bandages around Naruto's torso. With a final tug, she tied it off and sighed. "That's the best we can do for now. I'm sure Kakashi-sensei could give us a hand." Sasuke nodded.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi charged Zabuza, knocking the man into a tree. Kakashi landed on a branch above him and drew a kunai.

"I see death in your future, Zabuza," Kakashi readied himself to leap down and deliver the final blow, when from nowhere; a pair of senbon flew through the air and struck Zabuza in the neck. His eyes widened momentarily, before they fell closed and he flopped onto the ground, lifeless. 

"You were right, he did die," from the trees stood a new arrival, wearing a mask that covered the face. Kakashi looked up and watched the newcomer as he checked for a pulse on Zabuza.

"Dead."

"I thank you, I've been looking for an opportunity to kill this man for some time now," the Nin jumped down and knelt beside Zabuza's body. Kakashi moved to stand beside his students.

'Judging from the height and sound of the voice, that one's not much older than my own genin,' Kakashi was surprised. "You're a hunter-nin, from Kiri I assume."

"You assume correctly," the hunter-nin knelt down and lifted Zabuza onto one shoulder. "I thank you again, good-bye." In a blur of movement, the hunter-nin was gone. Kakashi sighed when he saw that the danger was passed. He knelt down to check on Naruto.

He wasn't surprised to see that the shuriken wound was already healed. He looked over Sakura's handiwork and was impressed.

"I must say Sakura, you didn't do a bad job, considering you've never worked with broken bones before," Sakura flushed from the compliment. "You should consider becoming a medic." Kakashi said before standing up. "Well, let's get going." He took a step forward, but collapsed.

"Sensei!" Sakura turned him over.

"Damn, I used the Sharingan too much," Kakashi muttered as he blacked out. Sakura sighed, and looking between her unconscious teacher and teammate, she let out an annoyed groan.

"Oh hell no," she muttered. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at her antics.

"You drag Naruto, but be careful of his injury, I'll carry Kakashi," Sakura nodded and went to carefully lift Naruto off the ground. She threw one of his arms over her shoulder and grunted when his feet dragged along the ground. Meanwhile, Tazuna gave Sasuke a hand in carrying Kakashi. The old man led the two to his home, all the while chatting happily.

XxXxXxX

Naruto regained consciousness and set up. He automatically felt his side and removed the bandages Sakura had applied. The rib had healed and so hadthe tear in his flesh. He grinned and looked around for his backpack to put on a shirt. He failed to notice Sasuke and Sakura sitting in the corner. Clearly they'd been waiting for him and Kakashi to wake up, but had fallen asleep in the process. He snickered into his hand.

Sakura was resting her head on Sasuke's shoulder, while he used her head for a pillow, and they were leaning against each other slightly. Had Naruto been a girl, he'd have found the scene to be cute. But the fact of the matter was, he was a boy and just thought it was funny because Sasuke _hated_ all of his fangirls.

'I wish I had a camera on me, this would make such great blackmail for Uchiha.' Naruto thought. His backpack was in another corner and he got up and walked silently towards it. He pulled out a black t-shirt, and walked out of the room without waking anyone up.

Naruto came downstairs to see Tazuna talking to a woman in her late twenties who was looked like she was preparing a meal.

"Oh, brat, you're awake?" Tazuna asked. Naruto nodded and sat down across the table from the old man.

"Where are we?"

"We're in my home, this is my daughter Tsunami," Tazuna gestured to the woman. She turned around and gave Naruto a kind smile. He managed a small smile in return. There was silence for a long moment when Tsunami served food for the two males. It didn't take long for Naruto to finish his meal. He continued to sit for a while longer, not really minding the silence.

Naruto quickly began to feel restless. He stood up and the two adults gave him a small look.

"If anyone one of my team wakes up and asks where I am, tell them I went into town to gather some information," he explained. They nodded. Naruto went back to the room, secured his kunai holster to his thigh and headed out. 'I'll leave the forehead protector here, no need to attract unnecessary attention.' 

XxXxXxX

The first thing Naruto noticed was just how run down everything was. Many shops and restaurant doors and windows were closed and boarded up. The few shops that were open were painfully bare of anything, and any food was far passed the expiration date. Children roamed the streets, asking any older adult they came across of for money or food. Most were dressed in rags, but some ran about in nothing but their skin. A pathetically thin naked girl of about six ran into Naruto and fell to the ground. She began to cry, but quickly stopped and got up. She began to back away, and he saw bruises and cuts littering her body. Naruto frowned in disapproval before stripping off his shirt and handing it to her. She backed further away. Naruto managed the kindest smile he could before pulling the shirt over her head. Once the girl realized that he was giving it to her, she smiled and pulled her arms through the sleeves. 

Naruto was by no means tall for his age—in fact, he was pretty short. Lack of sufficient food in his youngest days saw to it that his growth was slightly stunted. But the girl was so small the t-shirt fell nearly to her knees.

"Thank you, onii-chan!" the girl hugged him before running off.

Naruto continued to wander through the town, taking in everything. When he walked by, women huddled up and moved away, holding small children to their breast, as if afraid he would take them.

'This place is in worse shape than the slums back home.'

**"It is considerably worse,"** Kyuubi added.

"Psst, hey, hey kid," Naruto halted and looked over at a young man, his clothes were ragged, and he was filthy, but he was smiling.

"What?"

"You a Konoha ninja?" the man asked. Naruto stiffened and began to subtly slip into a defensive stance.

"No need to worry, it was just a wild guess," the young man approached and extended his had. "Name's Ishida Kenji."

"U-Uzumaki Naruto," Kenji nodded.

"Well, Naruto-kun, if you would kindly follow me, there's something I have to show you," against his better judgment, Naruto followed the other.

**"Careful Naruto, it could be a trap."**

'I know, but he seems sincere enough. Smells like it too.' Naruto followed Kenji away from the town and into the surrounding forest.

"What is it you want to show me?" Naruto asked after a while.

"My father can explain everything," Kenji replied as they pressed on.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi's eye snapped open and he sat up. Sakura and Sasuke jumped slightly and moved away from him.

'Damn, we were so close.' Sakura thought, she was annoyed about missing out on finding out what Kakashi's face looked like.

"What's wrong Kakashi?" Sasuke asked.

"Zabuza, he might be alive," Kakashi stated.

"What!" Sakura's eyes widened so far that Sasuke wasn't surprised that they hadn't fallen out.

"What makes you think he's alive? You even checked for a pulse," Sasuke waited for a reply.

"Its standard procedure for a hunter-nin to dispose of the body of a dead criminal where he fell," Kakashi mused aloud.

"What does a hunter-nin do exactly?"

"It's their job to hunt down missing-nin from their villages and kill and dispose of said missing-nin to keep any secrets about the village from falling into enemy hands."

"You said they have to keep the villages secrets from ending up with the enemy, is it possible that the hunter-nin moved Zabuza's body to keep those secrets from us?" Sasuke questioned.

"Possible, but that happens on such rare occasions that I've never heard of that actually occurring," Kakashi paused to think. "Plus, the hunter-nin's choice of weapon is a bit unsettling."

"Senbon?" Sakura asked. Kakashi nodded.

"As a hunter-nin, he'd have intimate knowledge of the human anatomy, and using senbon to put Zabuza in a temporary death would be an easy task," Kakashi said. "That on its own will make Zabuza very weakfor at least a week or two. That'll give myself time to recover, and for you three to train. Speaking of which, where's Naruto?"

"Tazuna said he went out to gather information," Sakura said. "But, I didn't think his injuries would have healed so quickly, he should still be bedridden." She glanced at the empty futon beside Kakashi's.

"Naruto isn't one to sit around all day. He'll be jumping around regardless of his health," Kakashi lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. "He should be back before night fall. In the mean time, get something to eat and rest a little while longer." He said before closing his eye and falling back asleep.

XxXxXxX

Zabuza was lying on a bed, waiting for his partner to return and help him eat. He really hated it when Haku had to kill him for a little while. It made him feel useless, and he detested that. The door opened and an ambiguous boy entered, bearing a tray of food. 

"I hope you have not tried to move Zabuza-san, that will only set you back further in your recovery," he stated. Zabuza simply grunted as the boy set the tray down on the bedside table.

"What's for dinner?"

"Soup."

"Again?"

"You can't eat solid foods until your body is back to normal, it could cause complications, and you know that," Zabuza grumbled as the boy lifted a spoonful of soup and began to feed him slowly. The boy smiled slightly at Zabuza as he fed him.

XxXxXxX

Naruto looked at the small rundown shack and watched as Kenji entered. He jogged to catch up to the man and cautiously entered the shack, ready to draw a kunai should the need arise. He was still uncertain about whether or not it was all just an elaborate trap set for him. They came through a small room and crossed it towards another door. Kenji pushed it aside and allowed Naruto to step inside.

"Naruto-kun, this is my father. Father, Naruto-kun." The first thing that Naruto noticed was that the old man was blind. He'd seen Hinata move with a small amount of uncertainty in her movements when they were alone, plus the fact that the man was staring at nothing, in the same way Hinata did.

Somehow, Naruto did not regret, nor did he think about the fact that it could be a trap anymore. If anything, he felt like it had been fate that he met the two Ishida men. It was such a strong feeling that he couldn't bring himself to question it.

**Okay, first off. A big fat huge apology for taking so long with the update. When I posted the last chapter, life had been slowly creeping up on me, and when it did catch up, I got hit hard. I got depressed, really, really, depressed, like, borderline suicidal depressed. Only recently have I completely pulled myself out of it and have been able to sit down and write. After re-reading the Wave Country Arc of the Naruto manga of course, because this story arc is basically unknown territory, I couldn't remember what happened because I'd read it so long ago, and I skipped it in the anime. So, now that I've finally written it, I humbly hope you can forgive me for not updating sooner. Plus as a bonus, this chapter is just slightly longer than the others. Kinda. This is officially the longest chapter at nineteen pages! wOOt!**


	8. Eiyuu

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 8: Eiyuu - Heroes

Naruto moved to sit directly in front of the old man.

"What is your name boy?" the old man asked. Naruto didn't even question how the man knew who he was. He'd learned quickly that blind people, ninja or not, were different. They had their own way of gathering a mental image of a person, based on more than just physical appearance.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the old man nodded. Kenji rose and left the room silently.

"Twelve years ago, two travelers came to me. My son was but your age and I still had my eyes. I remember it well. Both wore cloaks and hid their faces with hoods," he paused to think back. "I do know for certain that both were female, one much younger than the other." Kenji had returned by now, carrying a long object wrapped in a length of light blue silk cloth. He set it down between his father and Naruto.

"What is it?"

"I'm, getting to it, Naruto-kun," the old man's eyes crinkled at the corners in a smile. "The elder one left this in my care. She gave specific instructions, that should a Konoha shinobi ever come to Wave, I was to hand it to them." Naruto took the object and unwrapped the long cloth. It felt cool, and as smooth as water. When the final foot of the cloth fell away, it revealed a nodachi. Naruto stood up, to see its length in comparison to his own height. He was shocked to discover that it was nearly as tall as he was. It was easily longer than four feet long, much longer than a standard katana length.

"So, you've given it to me, now what?" Naruto asked. He studied the katana carefully. The sheath was made of a strong wood, and painted a sky blue. The hand guard was a highly decorated diamond shape. At each point, he could see that the kanji for each point on the compass was meticulously carved into the blade. Besides that, there was a complex pattern of spirals carved into it. 'Heh, more spirals, just can't get away from 'em, can I?' The wrappings of the hilt were partially hidden by the long blue ribbons that wound around it from the pommel, and came around to end just below the hand guard, holding the blade in the sheath. The ribbons were of varying shades of blue; from so light it appeared to be white, and dark enough to pass as black.

"From what I remember, there's something called a chakra seal on it. I'm not a ninja, so I don't really know what it does. I just know that it will react to your chakra."

'What do you think 'nii-san?' Naruto had only read about chakra seals. From what he knew, he had to channel a precise amount of chakra into the blade, probably to release the ribbons holding the katana in place. There was no answer from Kyuubi.

"So, ojii-san, were there any other directions?"

"Just that, if the ninja was unable to draw the blade, he or she was to take it back to Konoha and deliver it to the Hokage, because he would know what to do with it."

"So, even if someone else had been able to use the right amount of chakra, they might not have been able to draw the blade?" the old man shrugged.

"The ways of the ninja are unknown to me, but this blade is within your care Naruto-kun, treat it well, and it will do the same for you."

"You got it, thanks," Naruto pondered for a moment, wondering how he would transport the katana. He glanced at the cloth at his feet. He bent over and, drawing a kunai, cut a strip from it which he used to tie the katana to his back. "The rest of that silk should be able to get you some money and food if you're careful, you can keep that." Naruto said.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. You will be a fine man one day," Naruto shook hands with Kenji before he made his way out of the small house and back into the forest.

'Better get back to Tazuna's before everyone starts wondering where I am.' Naruto thought.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi had managed the strength to sit up. Sasuke sat with him in silence; downstairs they could hear the sounds of Sakura and Tsunami chatting as they prepared dinner.

"Kakashi," Sasuke spoke softly. Kakashi turned to him, looking up from his book.

"What is it?"

"You're not an Uchiha, how do you have the Sharingan?" Sasuke asked, though it sounded more like a demand than a question.

"It's a very long story."

"I've got time."

"Let's just put it this way, it was a gift from the one I called my best friend. You wouldn't have known him, he died the summer you were born during the War," Kakashi flipped a page of his book and continued to read. There was silence for a time.

"What was his name?"

"Uchiha Obito, and unlike most Uchiha's, he wasn't a prodigy, powerful, or very smart. In a way, he's a lot like Naruto," Kakashi snapped the book shut and put it down. "But he was most definitely a good man. He was the one that taught me the importance of teamwork." The thought of an Uchiha that wasn't at the top of the food chain was a bit foreign to Sasuke, it had been drilled into his head from a young age that all Uchiha were the best, and there were no exceptions. "Your family didn't even want to bury him in your clan's burial ground. In the end, my teacher had him cremated and split ashes up among the three of us to scatter in different parts of the village."

"He sounds," Sasuke hesitated, "strange."

"Believe it or not, many of the children in the family liked him, especially Itachi," Kakashi waited to watch Sasuke's reaction. "I think, if he'd been given a chance, Obito would have made a good father." Sasuke's expression had darkened and his fists clenched at the mention of his brother, but there was no violent outburst like Kakashi had expected. The amount of noise from the kitchen increased suddenly.

"Oh! Naruto, you're back! Why do you have a sword with you?" Sakura's voice approached the closed door of the room, and they could hear a pair of footsteps. The door opened and Naruto entered.

"Hatake, we have to help these people," Naruto said as he removed the nodachi that was strapped to his back and set it down as he sat.

"We've already established that."

"These people are worse off than the homeless and beggars back home," the blond stated as he grabbed his backpack, fished a clean shirt out and pulled it on.

"Did you go out without a shirt on?"

"No, I gave it to a little girl that didn't have any clothes," Kakashi studied the blade that lay beside Naruto.

"Where'd you get that?"

"An old blind man that lives out in the woods with his son. Apparently, a ninja came by here years ago and dropped it off with him. Told him to give it to the first Konoha ninja he ran into," Naruto picked it up to show it to the jounin. "According to the old man, the chakra seal is to prevent anyone from drawing the sword. Only a specific person can I suppose, based on what he told me."

"Give it here," Kakashi ordered, holding out a hand for the nodachi. Naruto shrugged and handed the blade to him.

"Knock yourself out," Kakashi gripped the hilt and channeled some chakra into it. There was no response, except that Kakashi suddenly felt extremely hot. He fell onto his back convulsing and twitching. "Shit!" Naruto jumped up. "Hold him still!" After a second's hesitation Sasuke and Sakura grabbed a hold of Kakashi's shoulders and held him while Naruto pried the sword from Kakashi's grip. After a moment, Kakashi's thrashing stopped and his breathing evened out; his body cooled down but beads of sweat formed on his brow.

"Are you okay, sensei?" Sakura asked as she and Sasuke helped him back into a sitting position. He nodded slowly.

"Naruto," the blonde looked at his teacher, "until we get back to Konoha, refrain from trying anything with that blade." Naruto nodded. "That nodachi is clearly dangerous, until we learn more about it, it will remain with you, Naruto. We don't want anyone else getting hurt."

"Right, my responsibility," Naruto placed the nodachi beside his backpack.

"I should be up to strength to take you guys out for training tomorrow. For now, we can just hope that Zabuza doesn't make a quick recovery," Kakashi stated as he picked his book up again. The door slid open and everyone looked to see Tsunami peaking into the room.

"Dinner's ready now," she announced and shut the door.

"Naruto, Sasuke, give me a hand here," both boys helped Kakashi to his feet and helped him down to the dining room.

Dinner was a silent affair between everyone. The only noises within the room were of them chewing and the sound of their chopsticks moving about. Naruto reached for the last piece of fried fish only to see a second pair of chopsticks reach for it as well. He glared up at Sasuke.

"I saw it first," Naruto muttered through clenched teeth.

"Let go moron."

"No, I actually worked today, I need it more."

"Che, I seriously doubt that."

"While someone was sleeping his ass off, I was out doing recon."

"And what sort of useful information did you bring back?"

"These people need our help. They're dying, and if we don't do something, they will be dead within a few more months, or even weeks," Naruto responded. Both boys had long since let go of the piece of fish and were now staring each other down. Sasuke was about to say more, but a third pair of chopsticks entered the fray and plucked the fish from its platter. They blinked in confusion and looked up at Kakashi. His mask was in place, but they could see his jaw working as he chewed. "Hey! That was mine!"

"Well, you two were too busy talking so I thought you'd changed your mind or something," Kakashi responded. Naruto growled and stood up and stalked off. No one bothered to stop him either.

XxXxXxX

The next day found the three genin in a small clearing in the forest. Kakashi was using a pair of crutches to help support his weight as he waited for them to ask what they were doing. After a moment of silence, Sakura finally spoke up.

"What are we doing out here sensei?" she asked.

"Good question. Today, you shall be training out here," Kakashi announced.

'About time he actually taught us something!' Naruto thought. "So, what are we going to do?"

"You will be climbing trees," Kakashi stated. He received three identical blank stares. "But here's the fun part, you won't be using your hands to do it." The blank looks were replaced by confused ones, each one more obvious than the other. Sakura appearing the most confused and Sasuke showing it the least.

"How do we do that Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Like this," Kakashi brought his hands up and formed a seal. After a moment, he walked towards a tree and walked straight up the side of it as if it were just an extension of the ground. He continued until he hung upside down from a branch. His students all held varying expressions of surprise upon their faces.

"It doesn't look that exciting," Naruto grumbled. He began to stare off into space, no longer listening to Kakashi's lecture until a kunai buried itself into the ground at his feet.

"If you master this exercise, then you'll be able to master any technique in the world," Kakashi told them. 'In theory anyway, but there's no need to tell them that.' He thought. "Use those kunai to mark your progress, and I suggest you make a running start to get some momentum going." Each of them picked up a kunai and chose a tree.

"Heh, this'll be easy!" Naruto announced. Taking a moment to concentrate his chakra, he ran at the nearest tree. He made it too steps before he pushed too much chakra out of his foot and launched himself away from the tree. He hit the ground with a thud and groaned.

Sasuke smirked at Naruto's failure and let his concentration slip and he slid down the tree. He managed to land on his feet and he took a breath to steady himself.

"Wow, this is easier than I thought," both boys looked up to see Sakura perched on a branch about level to the one Kakashi sat upon.

"By the looks of things, the Uchiha isn't as great as he looks, and the Sakura's closer to being Hokage than either of you," Kakashi said, knowing a little taunting would get the boys going. Naruto growled and stood up.

"Okay, let's try again!" he rushed at the tree, making it up a couple of feet before his control gave out on him. He managed to land in a crouch this time when he hit the ground. He watched Sasuke get a little higher up, but not much farther than he did.

"Well, I'll leave you all to it, I'll be with Tazuna if anyone needs me," Kakashi descended the tree and walked off whistling.

XxXxXxX

By sunset, all three genin were tired out. Sakura, who had the least stamina lay at the base of her tree, panting. Naruto was only winded, and a layer of sweat covered his face and arms. He's removed his vest at some point and had rolled up the sleeves of his t-shirt. Sasuke was breathing just as heavily as Sakura, and his shirt was soaked with sweat and his hair stuck to his face. Finally, Sakura sat up to speak.

"Maybe we should head back now, it's kinda late now," she suggested. Naruto slashed the tree a final time as he went down and landed heavily.

"Yeah, I'm starving," he agreed as he fanned himself with his hand. Sasuke nodded and the three headed back to Tazuna's house in silence.

Sakura dragged her feet as she walked, her legs felt like lead, and she was in desperate need of a bath. Not to mention her stomach wouldn't stop gurgling and making funny noises as it cried out for food.

Sasuke tugged at his shirt to pull it away from his skin. The fact that it kept sticking to him made him feel uncomfortable and painfully aware of his need of a shower. As he raked a hand through his hair, he could feel how damp it was from all the sweating he'd done.

Naruto acknowledged the fact that he was tired, hungry, sweaty, and dirty, but he really didn't care. It was something he was pretty familiar with at this point. He was more concerned with food for the time being.

Finally they reached the house and gratefully spilled through the door. Everyone was sitting at the table waiting for them to get back. Tsunami smiled at them.

"Come sit down and eat," she gestured to the three places set for them. Kakashi sat there as well.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"I made it all the way up the tree sensei," Sakura reported as she fell to the floor and picked up her chopsticks happily.

"A little over half way there Hatake," Naruto muttered as he greedily stuffed his mouth with rice.

"Almost half way," Sasuke grumbled. He was annoyed that Naruto was better than him at something. Naruto had made only a little more progress, but the fact that the blond (for the most part, blond is used when referring to guys, and blonde refers to girls—at least that's what I've been told) was ahead of him just plain pissed him off. Sasuke picked up his chopsticks and began to eat just as quickly as Naruto was.

"Really?" Kakashi's eye curved into a smile at the two boys. They ignored him in favor of filling their stomachs. 'So Naruto is ahead in terms of chakra control. That's a little strange, but maybe not. Hinata could have been helping him with that.'

Tsunami's nine year old son sat and watched the three genin. 'Why are they trying so hard? They're never going to beat Gatou.' He thought bitterly. He finished eating and stood up.

"Inari? Where are you going?" Tsunami asked her son.

"To my room," he grumbled quietly. Inari walked away from the table with out as much as a "good night" to his family.

'What is that kid's problem?' Naruto wondered as he finished eating.

Once everyone finished eating, Kakashi helped Tsunami clean up while the three genin ran up to their room to bathe.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke and Naruto were arguing while they collected clean clothes to change into so they didn't notice that Sakura had disappeared.

"Ha! This proves that you're not perfect! My chakra control is better!"

"Che, you just got lucky today. By tomorrow, I'll have finished the exercise and you'll be left in the dust," Sasuke declared.

"Is that a challenge?" Naruto inquired. There was a gleam in his eye that Sasuke didn't really trust, but his damnable Uchiha pride wouldn't let him back down. He nodded. Naruto grinned. "Then, if you don't have the exercise mastered by sunset tomorrow, you have to do me a favor, anything I want no matter what it is. And if I haven't completed it, then I have to do you a favor."

"What if we both have it finished?" Sasuke asked smirked.

"Uh," Naruto paused to think of something. "Then, it's the same thing, we take turns. Whoever finishes first gets to choose when they want to collect on the favor. Same thing if neither of us finish." With everything set up, they shook hands and made their way to the bathroom.

XxXxXxX

Sakura sighed happily as she sank into the water, letting the heat relax her tense muscles. She closed her eyes and began to doze off when the door slid open. She jumped up in surprise, and standing at the door was Sasuke and Naruto. For a moment, no one moved. When it dawned on Sakura that she was naked, she screamed.

"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" she squealed. Sakura picked up the nearest object, which happened to be a bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo and threw it. The shampoo hit Sasuke in the face, and the soap landed in his open mouth, causing him to yelp and move away from the door. Naruto quickly did the same to save himself from the possibly dangerous projectiles. Sakura's screaming subsided eventually, but the noise had brought the adults up the stairs.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked.

"Uh, we – that is to say, uh," Naruto searched around for the answer. He looked over at Sasuke, but the boy was too busy rubbing his nose and spitting soap out of his mouth. "We didn't know Haruno was already in there." Naruto finally said.

"You didn't?" Kakashi asked suspiciously. "Or are you just trying to corrupt Sasuke and make him a pervert like you?"

"I am not!" Naruto yelled defensively. "A-anyway, we really didn't mean it, really, I swear!"

"I would punish you two for your little stunt, but I think there's someone else that can do it for me," Kakashi's eye glinted with mischief and the bathroom door opened. Sakura was dressed for bed, with her hair wrapped in a towel, a kunai in hand.

"So, who would like to go first?"

"F-first for what?" Naruto asked nervously.

"First to lose something very precious," Sakura stated in a low evil voice. It didn't take long for the two to realize what she meant.

"W-wait, it's not like there was much too…look…at," he finished slowly, afraid of the consequences.

"Oh really? Well then, I think we have our first volunteer. I do believe that there will not be a second Uzumaki running around the village anytime in the future," Sakura raised the kunai.

"Run!" Sasuke cried as he jumped to his feet and took off. Naruto was a heartbeat behind him, with an enraged Sakura not too far off. If anything, she looked like a banshee released from Hell.

XxXxXxX

A couple hours later, Sakura returned, grinning triumphantly as she dragged two unconscious boys along behind her. Not minding in the least that they were only getting dirtier. Kakashi glanced at the two males.

"I'm impressed, few people can catch Naruto, even I can't do it without help," he stated. Sakura's grin widened.

"Well, he wasn't exactly bursting with energy to start with, so I guess that made it easier," Sakura stated. She dumped each boy on their sleeping bags before slipping into her own. "Good night Kakashi-sensei."

"Night Sakura," Kakashi turned the light off before flopping down onto his own sleeping bag.

XxXxXxX

The next morning, no one was able to look each other in the eye. Sakura was silent, still basking in her victory over the boys.

"Sakura," Kakashi spoke up. All three genin turned to look at him. "Although you have mastered the training I gave you, you need to increase your chakra reserves, so you will be continuing with it, understood?" Sakura nodded in reply.

"Yes Kakashi-sensei."

"Work on it for the day, and then tomorrow you can join me in protecting Tazuna and the bridge while we wait for the boys to catch up," Kakashi told her. Sakura nodded again.

"Oh, Uchiha, I hope you haven't forgotten about our little bet from yesterday right?" Naruto asked the dark haired boy.

"Of course I haven't forgotten," Sasuke replied as he finished his breakfast. Inari, who had been watching them in silence finally decided to speak.

"Why are you trying so hard?" his simple question stopped any other conversation in the room. "Do you really think that you can beat Gatou and his men? Don't even bother because you'll only die, and even then you won't get to die as heroes!" Inari cried. "Heroes don't exist in this world, so don't even think that any of you can be one!" He had started crying at one point during his speech; he wiped away his tears and jumped when Naruto slammed his fist onto the table, making the dishes jump a little.

"You don't even know what a hero is! A hero is someone who is willing to die for what they believe in. Someone who would give up their life to ensure the life of others. That's what a hero is," Naruto growled. "You are nothing but a coward, and you know it!"

"Naruto, that's uncalled for," Sakura reprimanded him.

"Shut up Haruno," Naruto snapped back.

"Don't talk as if you know what it's like to be me!" Inari yelled before running off to his room.

"Stupid brat, he doesn't know what he's talking about," Naruto muttered. He rose to his feet and headed for the door.

"Naruto, where are you going?" Kakashi demanded.

"I'm heading out early, I'll see you guys later," Naruto replied. 'I'll show that brat, heroes are hard to find, you just gotta know where to look.'

XxXxXxX

Hinata hurriedly readied herself for the day. She'd somehow managed to wake up late, and so was trying to make it to her team's meeting place without being too late. She darted out of her room as she was tying her forehead protector on. Hinata ran down the hall and turned a corner, headed for the kitchen. She heard footsteps heading towards her and spun on the balls of her feet to move out the way. She barely missed knocking into the person.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Hinata halted in her movements at the sound of the voice,

"Mother, I am late for a team meeting," Hinata answered quickly. "I need to go now." She moved to keep going when her mother gently gripped her by the wrist.

"Be careful, Hinata-chan," the older woman said. She bent forward and kissed her eldest daughter on the forehead. "Good luck sweetie." Hinata blushed and nodded.

"I will, Mother," Hinata's mother let her go and watched as the girl ran off to the kitchen, her short hair bouncing slightly with each step.

"Oh, by the way, Hisana-san set aside some cinnamon rolls for you in the kitchen," Hinata's mother informed her. Hinata grinned widely and hurried off to the kitchen to get her breakfast.

XxXxXxX

Shino wasn't the type to worry unnecessarily, but the fact that he'd arrived to the meeting place before Hinata did cause a small stirring of something in him. When Kiba showed up, that small something doubled in size in his brain. If there was one thing he knew about Hinata, it was that she was always one time. Unless Naruto was involved in some trouble and she was running around trying to save him from it at least. Kurenai arrived and frowned upon only seeing two students.

"Where's Hinata?" she asked. Kiba shrugged in response. It was odd for Hinata to ever be late and it made him just a little nervous.

After a few more moments of waiting, Hinata arrived. She jogged towards them polishing off the rest of her breakfast and licking her fingers clean of the sticky sugar. She came to a stop and bowed to them.

"I'm sorry for being late," she murmured.

"It's okay Hinata, just try not to make it a habit," Kurenai told her. Hinata nodded.

"I won't," she reassured her teacher.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's get started," Kurenai smiled at her students. "First things first, missions. Let's go see what Hokage-sama has for us today."

"If it's that damned cat again, I refuse to participate!" Kiba announced loudly. Kurenai sighed.

"Okay then, you'll have one less mission, and you won't qualify for the coming Chuunin Exams," she said, smiling inside when Kiba immediately changed his mind. "Of course, that's assuming I nominate you to take the Exams." She finished with a smug look on her face. "Let's go." With these words, the team set out for the Hokage tower to receive there mission assignments for the day.

XxXxXxX

It was only midday and Sakura was already exhausted. She sat on the ground, leaning against her tree, taking a short break. Both boys were still at it and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. She looked up and saw that Naruto was still in the lead. As he was approaching the freshest mark on the tree, he tripped over his own feet and tumbled to the ground. His impact cause dirt and dust to fly up and he groaned loudly as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Shit that hurt," he groaned as he glared at the tree. "Stupid tree, making me fall like that." Naruto muttered darkly.

"Idiot, it was your own fault you fell," Sasuke said with a smirk as he paused to catch his breath. The pair started to bicker and Sakura tuned them out in favor of drinking deeply from her canteen. She pushed her hair from her face and blew a stray strand from her eyes.

'Jeez, my hair's getting hard to handle,' she thought. Sakura blinked when Naruto sat next to her. "What do you want?" She asked him suspiciously.

"Um, can you give me a few tips?" Naruto asked in a surprisingly humble voice.

"Huh?"

"If you do, I can fix your hair so that it won't get in your way," the blonde offered hopefully. "And no, I won't cut it off." He added. Sakura thought about it. Naruto only wanted a little help; it wasn't like he was asking for a date or something, and her hair really was annoying her now.

"Okay," she said quietly. Sakura moved a little closer and began to explain to him how he could improve his control. When she was done explaining, Naruto rose onto his knees so that he could work with Sakura's hair and quickly braided for her. She found a hair band in her pocket and handed it to him to use. With her hair securely tied back she stood up to keep working.

"Thanks for the help Haruno," Naruto hurried back to his tree to get back to work. Sasuke was starting to catch up and he didn't want that to happen. Sakura nodded to him and wondered for a moment where he'd learned to braid hair.

XxXxXxX

Sakura had long since gone back to Tazuna's house, leaving the boys to keep working. Naruto had made some progress, while Sasuke lagged farther behind. The dark haired boy really wanted to know what Sakura had told Naruto, but his pride wouldn't let him ask. After another failed attempt at making it any higher, he knelt on the ground and waited for Naruto to come back down. When he did Sasuke approached him.

"Oi," Naruto looked at the boy curiously. "What did Sakura tell you?" Sasuke asked him through gritted teeth.

"Huh? Well to be honest her advice didn't really help much," Naruto replied. "But I did remember something Hinata told me. Before the exam back at the Academy, she was helping me master Bunshin no Jutsu. Not that it worked, but it still helped anyway. She said that chakra was like water. It has its own natural flow and can't be forced into moving in whatever direction you want it to.

"You have to nudge it, encourage it to change direction, because forcing the chakra to move the way you want will only make it resist and push back to its normal current. Are you following me?" Sasuke nodded absently. "Good, so, just relax and let the chakra move through you on its own. Trust me, it works." Naruto told Sasuke before slapping him on the shoulder. He returned to his own tree and charged up the trunk.

'I didn't think the dobe had the attention span to learn anything. Oh well, he's been nothing but a surprise the last few months. But that explanation was just bullshit. Chakra is like water my ass,' Sasuke took a deep breath before focusing his chakra and running at the tree.

Sasuke wasn't certain as to what happened next, but he was over halfway up the tree when a sudden surge in his chakra abruptly pushed him away from the trunk. The trunk cracked loudly as he began to fall. In his shock, he failed to reorient himself to land safely. He was headed for the ground head first when his descent was stopped suddenly. He hissed when his leg was pulled on hard. He opened his eyes to see Naruto attached to the underside of a branch while gripping Sasuke's ankle.

"Looks like you owe me one anyway," Naruto said with a chuckle.

"Put me down you idiot!" Sasuke demanded loudly.

"Now is that any way to treat your savior?"

"Savior my ass," the blond grinned.

"Since you asked so nicely," Naruto released Sasuke's ankle and let him drop. As Sasuke fell he screamed out a string of curses at the other boy.

"I'll kill you Naruto!" he screamed.

"Not if you're already dead!" Naruto cried back, laughing. Sasuke flipped around and landed heavily. Naruto skipped down the tree whistling to himself. "So, did you have fun Uchiha?" Naruto asked with a smug expression on his face.

"Shut up Naruto," Sasuke replied as he rose and brushed the dirt from his shorts. Without another word, Sasuke made his way back to Tazuna's house.

"Done for the day?" Naruto asked as he jogged to catch up. Sasuke nodded. Sasuke noticed that Naruto was still wearing that shit-eating grin on his face.

"What the hell are you smiling about?"

"Oh, nothing," Naruto replied as his eyes squinted through the semi-darkness.

"By the way, you didn't win the bet,"

"Sure I did, I made it all the way up my tree and ran half way down yours to save your ungrateful ass," Naruto explained.

"Whatever, just as long as whatever favor you want isn't illegal or something I wouldn't want to do."

"Please, anything I'd have you do you wouldn't want to do regardless of what it was."

"Hn."

"Wow, you've got a great vocabulary there Uchiha," Naruto commented before silence reign supreme between them. A question popped into Sasuke's head, a question that had been bugging him for a while.

"Naruto?"

"What?"

"How did your rib heal so quickly?" he asked. Naruto blinked, and for a moment, panic flashed in his eyes. Naruto quickly thought up an excuse, totally winging it as he went along.

"I don't know, I've always been a really fast healer, bruises, scratches, and scrapes heal completely in hours. Some take a little while longer, and I've never been sick for more than maybe an hour or two. Maybe it's some kind of kekkei genkai," Naruto told him.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, a year or so ago I checked the library's birth records and it said that I'm the only Uzumaki to have been born in the village. It's possible my parents were foreigners that died right after I was born," Naruto stated. "Man, I'd kill to know who they were. If only I had a name I'd be happy with just that." He sighed wistfully and looked up at the darkening sky. "What was your family like?" He asked the taller boy. He noticed a sudden change in Sasuke posture. His back became rigid and he walked stiffly.

"My mother was kind. The smiling type, she always looked out for us. Made sure we ate properly. Typical mother personality I suppose. Father was a different story. He wanted to make soldiers out of us, killing machines. He never smiled, and he very rarely paid any compliments to me. My brother was the center of his universe. The clan's future, their pride and joy. They had no idea that he'd become a monster," Sasuke paused to calm himself. "My brother behaved like any brother should. He looked out for me, helped when he could, but half of the time, he just left me with empty promises. I idolized him; I placed him on a pedestal that I'd never be able to reach. I was a stupid little kid to have ever believed him."

"But you couldn't have known could you? You had no idea that everything he showed the world was just a pretense. You couldn't read his mind, and besides, with the way you describe him, it was bound to have happened," when Naruto finished his sentence, Sasuke lashed out and punched him across the jaw. Naruto stepped back to keep from falling over. "What the hell was that for?"

"You know nothing about me Uzumaki, so don't pretend that you do," Sasuke snapped, fixing Naruto with his deadliest glare. For a moment Naruto could have sworn he saw red boiling up from the pair of black orbs. The blonde blinked in surprise and continued on his way.

'Oh, I don't know about that Sasuke, there's a lot about that man that you don't know about.' Naruto thought.

XxXxXxX

Dinner was held in uncomfortable silence. Inari was staring at Naruto for some reason, while Naruto and Sasuke were ignoring each other like the plague. In a moment of perceptiveness, Sakura chose not to say anything, noticing the tension between Sasuke and Naruto. Her hair was still tied in a braid and she decided that having it tied back wasn't so bad.

"So, how was training?" Kakashi asked his students.

"I've completed the training sensei," Sakura reported. The silver haired man looked at the two boys expectantly.

"Well?"

"I've finished the training Hatake," Naruto told him quietly in between bites of food.

"I-I'm still working on it Kakashi," Sasuke spat bitterly after a moment of hesitation. Kakashi nodded, acknowledging the short report from his students.

'This is really a surprise; Sasuke's fallen behind Naruto in something. Amazing.' Kakashi thought with a quiet chuckle. 'This should get the kid motivated to work a little harder.' Although he was a little disappointed that Sasuke wasn't quite as good as Naruto, he was still pleased with the results. Kakashi glanced over at the silent Inari. He could tell that the boy was desperate to say something to Naruto, and he knew that it would happen soon. After pushing his food around on his plate for a while Inari finally stood up.

"Where are you going Inari?" Tsunami asked her son.

"To my room," he replied. As he approached the door that led out of the dining room he paused to look back at Naruto. "You've no idea what its like to be me. Acting happy all the time, you're just an idiot. You couldn't know how hard I've had it in my life, the things I've had to suffer through." Inari said in a cold voice that no child should ever be able to use. Naruto grit his teeth and balled his hands into fists.

"Shut up," he said softly at first, trying to remain calm. "Just SHUT THE HELL UP!" Naruto roared in anger. "You act like your story is the most tragic one in history. Well you're dead wrong. Unlike you, some of us have to come home everyday to an empty house!" Inari stared in surprise. "I've had no one, no mother, and no father, not even an aunt or uncle to watch over me. It's been me against everyone else since the moment I was born! You have no idea what its like to live my life! So just go to your room and cry like the coward that you are!" Naruto had stood up now and was watching Inari through narrowed eyes. Inari attempted at wiping the tears from his face before running through the door. Naruto growled and stalked towards the front door.

"Where are you going Naruto?" Sakura asked him.

"I'm taking a walk," Naruto answered as he stepped through the door and slammed it closed. No one made no move to bring him back, knowing that it would be better to leave him alone for the time being.

XxXxXxX

Hinata listened to her mother's soft singing as she combed out Hinata's hair. It was something her mother greatly enjoyed simply because she got to spend very little time with her daughters and give them the chance to act like girls.

"You should grow your hair out Hinata-chan," she commented quietly.

"Really?"

"Yes, you'd look even more beautiful with longer hair." Her mother told her. "I'm sure Naruto-kun would agree with me." Hinata blushed at the idea of Naruto calling her beautiful.

"I don't think Naruto-kun would call me beautiful," Hinata said uncertainly.

"Are you sure about that? He seems to really like you."

"We're just friends Mother," Hinata told her.

"No, you two aren't just friends. You were the first friend he ever had. You have your own special place in his heart, you are someone no one could ever replace in his life," her mother told her. There was a knock at the door and Hiashi looked inside. His gaze seemed to soften at the sight of the two conversing happily. "What is it Hiashi-kun?"

"I need to speak with Hinata, I'm sorry to interrupt your time together Himawari," he apologized to his wife.

"It's fine, it's time I go check on Hanabi-chan anyway," Himawari embraced her eldest daughter and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night sweetie."

"Good night Mother," Hinata replied as Himawari stepped from the room. Hinata turned to face her father. "You wished to speak to me Father?"

"Yes, it has come to my attention that the clan council has been trailing you to make sure you are not coming into contact with Uzumaki-san," Hinata nodded.

"I know Father, I have been aware of it for a few days now," the girl replied calmly. Hiashi raised an eyebrow at the response. "The Hyuuga clan has not placed any strong emphasis on stealth; therefore the Branch member that has been shadowing me was easy to notice. The chakra signature stood out among the non-shinobi villagers." Hinata explained.

"I see. Do you intend on being in Uzumaki-san's company once he returns from the mission he was sent on?"

"Naruto-kun is my best friend Father; wouldn't you want to defy the council if they told you that you could no longer see Mother?" Hinata asked him.

"I understand Hinata," Hiashi turned to leave, "and I trust your judgment." Hiashi paused before walking towards his daughter before giving her an affectionate pat on the head. "Good night."

"Good night Father," Hinata rose from the chair she had been sitting in and slipped into bed as her father shut off the lights before closing the door behind him. Once she was settled, Hinata yawned widely and fell into a deep sleep.

**It seems my plan of having someone beta read for me fell through. I, uh, I forgot the names of the two who volunteered, and the guy that did volunteered seems to have disappeared, so rather than make you guys wait any longer, I decided to just give it one final read through, and put up this chapter. Hopefully the next chapter won't take this long to be released. Please review and I really hope I didn't lose some of you because of this.**


	9. Taisetsu no Hito

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 9: Taisetsu no Hito – Important Person

**A/N: PLEASE READ CHAPTER 8 FIRST. I switched the A/N out for the actual chapter, so read that first!**

Naruto never returned that night, making the tension between the young ninja and the small boy even more obvious. Kakashi sat on the pier staring up at the sky. He wasn't concerned for Naruto's safety, the blond made so much noise it'd be pretty obvious if he was attacked.

"Um, Kakashi-san?" a small voice spoke.

"Hm?" the silver haired man turned to look at who had spoken. It was Inari.

"About Naruto, was what he said really true?" he asked. "About him being alone?"

"It's true. No one really knows who Naruto's parents are. There are some who have suspicions, including myself, but no one knows. Not even Naruto."

"Oh," Inari sat down next to Kakashi.

"Everyone born in our village is recorded in the village's record book which is in the main library. It's supposed to list date and time of birth as well as the parents, and any others that were born in the village with the same family name. The column for mother and father are blank, and he's listed as the only Uzumaki ever born in the village. This suggests that his parents were foreigners passing through the village at the time of his birth, but this is unlikely."

"Why is that?"

"Naruto was born the night out village was attacked by a monster. That night we lost our greatest leader, and as Naruto had been the only birth that night, many came to believe that the monster – the Kyuubi no Yoko – turned itself into Naruto in order to regain its strength."

"Do you believe that?"

"At a time, I may have. Our Hokage at the time, he was once my teacher. The man I would have considered to be something like a father to me. But now, after spending so much time with Naruto, my opinion of him is changing. He has too many flaws; he's far too human to be anything but."

"Is that why Naruto says that everyone is against him?"

"Yes. He's had to raise himself, with the occasional help of others. He's self reliant and doesn't like asking others for help, but he's more willing than Sasuke is."

"What's wrong with Sasuke?"

"His family was murdered five years ago. The exact circumstances are classified information, but it scarred him mentally, he believes he must remain alone for the rest of his days, that will be his undoing," Kakashi shifted. "I think, Naruto can be the one to help him. Their lives are similar, but different; they probably understand each other better than most people would.

"Is that all you wanted to know Inari?"

"Yeah," Inari stood up to leave. "Kakashi-san? What do you think a hero is?"

"A hero? A man who stands by his beliefs, no matter what the consequence," Kakashi answered and there was the faint outline of a fond smile hidden beneath his mask.

"Then, I think, Naruto-'nii-san can be a great hero one day," Inari said with a smile.

XxXxXxX

Naruto opened his eyes groggily. Sunlight filtered through the trees and made him squint. He sat up and quickly spun to his feet when he realized he wasn't alone. A kunai was gripped tightly in his hand, holding a defensive posture taking in the intruder. It was either an incredibly pretty boy, or a girl that had a hint of masculinity to her. He took a deep breath and assessed that this was indeed a boy.

"Who are you?"

"Do not be alarmed," he said in a soft voice.

"Oh quit the shy girl act, I know you're a boy," Naruto snapped. He never was much of a morning person.

"I apologize for startling you. I am just here to collect some herbs. A friend of mine is injured, there's a certain plant here that I need," he told Naruto. Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously before loosening his stance and tucking away the kunai. "What are you doing out here so late anyway?" the boy asked.

"I was training, I fell asleep," Naruto answered.

"Training?" the boy's eyes fell upon Naruto's forehead protector. "You're a ninja?"

"Yeah."

"You look quite strong to me," the older boy commented.

"Yeah well, I'm not strong enough yet. I won't be until I'm Hokage," the blonde declared with a smirk. "Once I'm Hokage I can protect everyone."

"Do you have someone important to you?" the other asked abruptly. Naruto cocked his head to the side in thought. His first thought landed on Hinata, his best and first friend, and then there was Iruka, the man he'd gladly call father, and of course Sarutobi, the grandfatherly old man who always made sure to visit Naruto on major holidays and his birthday.

"Yeah, I do," Naruto replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Someone once told me, that one is never truly strong until they are protecting someone precious to them. Someone they would gladly die for."

"I think I get what you mean. Iruka-sensei protected me once, and that was the first time I've ever seen him do anything beyond the basic genin and chuunin level of skill. He looked kinda scary too," Naruto murmured. The other boy went on this his task. "Do you need help?" Naruto asked.

"I wouldn't mind," he replied. The boy showed Naruto the herb he was looking for. "This is what I'm looking for."

"Hey, that's an energy restorative," Naruto said.

"You know of it?"

"A little, I have some back home in my garden. Flowers are pretty, but they can't always be used in medicine," Naruto explained as he quickly went about collecting the herb from the surrounding grass.

"I have enough now," the older boy said rising to his feet and dusting off his pink kimono. "Thank you for your assistance." He said before leaving. "And, good luck with your training." He walked away leaving Naruto in the small clearing, long dark hair flowing behind him. Naruto noticed Sasuke's approach, and the suspicious look he gave the other boy.

"Come on dobe, Kakashi's waiting," Sasuke growled. Naruto nodded and collected the kunai embedded into a tree.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke grunted under Naruto's weight. Halfway back to Tazuna's, the blonde collapsed from exhaustion.

"What an idiot, working himself so hard like that," he fumed when he finally reached the large house. Managing to work the door open, he tossed Naruto's prone form inside the shut the door.

"Now, now, Sasuke that's no way to treat a teammate," Kakashi chided him. Sasuke just glared at the man. "Go take Naruto up to the room, and tell Sakura to hurry up."

Sasuke nodded and lifted Naruto's arm to complete his task. He dragged Naruto up the stairs and dumped him in the room they were sharing. Sakura was nowhere in sight, so he figured the girl was in the bathroom. Heading towards it, he knocked, memories of the last time he'd opened a bathroom door without knocking ran through his head and he shuddered.

"What?" Sakura answered back.

"Hurry up," he snapped and went back downstairs. Kakashi was leaning against the wall beside the door waiting. Sakura soon appeared, her hair pulled back into a braid.

"Where's Naruto?" she asked.

"He's too exhausted to come with us, we'll have to be on our own until he recovers," Kakashi stated. "Let's head out." They all left the house, and Tazuna hurried after them.

XxXxXxX

Naruto sat up when a loud crash sounded from down stairs. He looked around and realized that he'd been left behind. Cursing, Naruto pulled his sandals back on and adjusted his forehead protector. He then grabbed his gear, and the nodachi as an afterthought. There was yelling downstairs, and deciding that remaining quiet would be the best idea, he listened as Tsunami attempted to protect Inari.

He heard the boy's cries as he was knocked back. Naruto's grip on the sword tightened, and without thinking, rushed out, drawing the blade as he went. As it was so long, he ended up throwing the sheath, and brought it down, slashing at the two men threatening the small family. They just stood there, shocked for a moment before blood spurted from their wounds, and they fell to the ground, dead. Naruto regarded them for a moment, doing his best to keep his body from going into shock. He turned to check on Tsunami and Inari, and both were fine, if a little rattled.

"Stay here, I have to help my team," he told them before running out the door. Naruto wiped the blade clean on the sleeve of his jacket and sheathed the nodachi. He did not notice the way the blade seemed to glow with chakra as he did.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke heaved; trying to keep up with the older boy was a chore. He was so fast! Sasuke had always thought he was pretty fast, but compared to the enemy, he was nothing.

'Is this all I can do? Five years, and this is the extent of my abilities?' he asked himself. He rolled to dodge another senbon.

"You will not survive this," the other boy, Haku told him.

"Shut up! I have to live. I must survive. I must kill him," Sasuke muttered.

"If you cannot defeat me, you will have no hope of killing the one you desire," Haku said.

"Shut up! Don't talk like you know what happened," Sasuke snapped, drawing a pair of kunai and throwing them both at the mirrors that reflected Haku's image. Haku simply stepped into another mirror and the kunai bounced off the mirror of ice. Haku hurled a volley of senbon at the boy, and Sasuke drew another kunai to deflect the small objects. But even then, he wasn't fast enough. Several broke through his guard and penetrated his body, causing muscles to stiffen and become numb.

'Damn it, why can't I keep up!' Sasuke cursed and dodged another three senbon, wincing in pain.

He continued to duck and dodge and slowly, he realized that doing so was becoming a little easier; keeping track of Haku wasn't quite so difficult anymore.

'What's going on?' Sasuke glanced into one of the mirrors and saw it. His eyes were no longer the deep black they always were. Now, they were blood read, a pair of spinning tomoe in one eye, a single one in the other. He smirked. 'Finally!' Sasuke ducked another attack.

'He's adapting at an incredible rate. I may not be able to beat him if this continues.' Haku thought nervously.

XxXxXxX

"The Uchiha brat won't last very long against Haku, if you ever hope to save him. You'd better get serious now," Zabuza taunted Kakashi.

'Damn, he's right. I should have woken Naruto up. They could have done it by working together.' Kakashi came back to his senses in time to bring his kunai up to block Zabuza's zanbatou. Just as they pulled away from each other, a blur of dark green and black ran by, headed straight to where Haku and Sasuke were locked in battle. 'Naruto, be careful.' Kakashi thought.

XxXxXxX

Naruto reached up to draw the nodachi. The many ribbons unwound from the hilt and trailed around the blonde boy. Naruto gripped the blade, feeling as if he'd been holding it his entire life.

"What the hell are you doing here you idiot?" Sasuke demanded.

"Haruno was worried about you, said you could get killed," Naruto told him.

"Not that I will get killed," Sasuke muttered.

"You're not strong enough Sasuke, you know it. Even with your Sharingan, it isn't nearly mature enough to help you defeat this guy," Naruto said.

"Are you two quite finished yet?" Haku asked. Although Naruto couldn't see his face, he knew that it was the same boy he'd seen just yesterday morning.

"Those herbs, they were for Zabuza, weren't they?"

"Of course, why else would I go out looking for them," Haku replied. He raised his hand to show Naruto the senbon clutched between his fingers. "I apologize, but I'm afraid I will have to kill you now." He threw the senbon, aiming for Naruto.

Naruto didn't know how it happened, but one moment, the long razor sharp needles were headed his way, the next, they were embedded into the cement of the bridge. Staring at the nodachi, he realized that it glowed with his chakra. Furrowing his eyebrows, he couldn't understand what was happening.

"Naruto, how did you manage to draw it? Kakashi couldn't, so how could you?"

"I don't know. I didn't even think about it," Naruto replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Haku studied the blade intently. Something about it rang a bell somewhere deep within his memories. The length of the blade, the long flowing ribbons that somehow didn't get in Naruto's way. He just couldn't place it. He was searching for the single defining feature that would identify the blade. Naruto shifted his arms, and he saw it. Stamped directly onto the steel just below the collar was a string of two kanji.

'My mother spoke of that blade. Legendary, and loyal to one clan, and one clan only.'

"Naruto," Haku said. The two genin looked at him in surprise. "You're family name, what is it?" He asked.

"Uzumaki. Why?" Naruto was a little confused. How was his name relevant to the situation at hand?

"That blade. My mother once spoke of it. Legendary among the shinobi who come from southern Mizu no Kuni. Only members of one clan have ever been able to wield it."

"What do you mean?"

"Nearly thirty years ago, the southern half of Mizu no Kuni was its own country. Uzu no Kuni, it was called. Then, in an attempt to become stronger and increase its numbers, Mizu forcefully absorbed the territory. The hidden village was disbanded. The shinobi clans had two choices, leave forever, or remain and become a part of Mizu's forces. My mother's family was one of the few that remained.

A few years later, the civil war between those with Kekkei Genkai and those without broke out. My mother, fearing for her life, and the life of her unborn child, hid her abilities from her husband. But then, he discovered what we were. I was forced to watch as he killed her. And then he turned on me. In fear, my Kekkei Genkai activated fully and killed him."

"But what's all this got to do with this nodachi?"

"That blade belonged to a powerful clan in Uzu. They were the strongest in the village, they had no Kekkei Genkai, but their skills were formidable. No one has seen that blade, the Arashiodori for those thirty years. It was rumored, that the last survivor of that clan, the Uzumaki clan, fled to the mainland, to Konoha with the remainders of an ally clan.

"Uzumaki? Then, my parents, they were foreigners," Naruto stared at the blade in his hands.

"How did you get it?"

"An old blind man out in the woods gave it to me. He was ordered by the woman who gave it to him to give it to the first Konoha shinobi he encountered. I was the first, and I was entrusted to hold onto it until I returned and gave it to the Hokage should I be unable to draw the blade," Naruto explained. "But I was able to, so this means that this blade, by all rights, belongs to me."

"It pains me to have to take the life of the one who is possibly the only remaining member of such an illustrious clan. However, orders are orders. I am truly sorry Uzumaki Naruto. I will make sure to sing the Sea's Hymn for you."

Haku attacked. Naruto was still in shock, and could not react quickly enough to protect himself. Naruto felt blood spurt onto his front. Sasuke cough and fell.

"Sasuke!" Naruto caught the other boy.

"You're still an idiot," the dark haired boy said.

"Like you're not? Jumping in front of me like that. What made you do it?"

"You're my first real friend Naruto. It would be a shame to let you die like that," Sasuke coughed up some blood and with a shuddering gasp, fell still. Naruto gently put the boy down and turned to Haku.

"You. You told me that one is only truly strong if they have some one precious to protect. I believe that Sasuke has learned that now. I will not let his death be in vain," Naruto brandished the nodachi, with he now knew was called Arashiodori, and with a powerful swing, chakra charged wind encircled him and the mirrors around him shattered.

'This power is incredible! Without a doubt, he is a member of the Uzumaki clan.' Haku shielded his face from the shards of ice and tumbled backwards. Naruto charged at the brunet. Arashiodori's tip scraped against the cement as he swung at Haku.

The burnet's only protection was the mask he wore, and it was sliced cleanly in half. The mask fell away revealing the pretty boy's face. Naruto seemed to hesitate for a moment and Haku took the opportunity. Naruto expected the older boy to attack him, but he ran right by him. Turning, he spotted Kakashi and Zabuza through the mist, the two men stood close together, something protruding through Zabuza's back.

"Zabuza-san!" Haku screamed. Kakashi pulled away from the other man, his hand bloodied. Haku slid and caught the larger man in his arms. "No! Zabuza-san! No, you can't! You can't die! You said you never would!" He cried.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise Haku," Zabuza muttered. With what little strength he had, he raised his hand to push Haku's hair out of his face. He then lowered it to take the boy's hand. "Swear to me you'll live. Swear!" He commanded.

"But, I've nothing to live for. You've been all I have. You're like a real father to me Zabuza-san. How can you ask this of me?"

"You are my son in all but blood. I order you to live. That boy, that boy lives on despite having so little. You can do the same. I see the same strength in his eyes like I did the day I found you."

"Zabuza-san, I'm sorry to have failed you."

"You didn't. I should be apologizing. I turned you into a machine; I forgot that you needed a chance to be normal. You have that chance now. Don't let it pass you by." "I promise Zabuza-san," Haku bit his lip, not wanting to shed anymore tears. Zabuza continued to breathe slowly, not one present spoke. They simply watched the pair, not wanting to ruin the moment. But someone did.

"I should have known that he wouldn't be able to do it!" a voice yelled at the incomplete end of the bridge. They turned to see Gatou; he was hiding behind a hundred hired thugs. The man was grinning; no doubt glad that he wouldn't have to pay the two nuke-nin. Haku glared, the temperature around the bridge dropping considerably. He pulled his hands away from Zabuza's, closing the deceased man's eyes.

"His death was not Kakashi-san's fault," Haku began, his voice no louder than a whisper, "IT WAS YOURS!"

Haku lifted Zabuza's heavy zanbatou and hefted it with both hands, his arms trembling slightly with the weight.

"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" he screamed, charging at Gatou. The thugs were frightened at the sight of this boy, not even a man yet, but the look in his eyes. Pure rage and anguish reflected in deep brown eyes. With a powerful swing, Haku let the huge blade fly. It spun, cutting straight through the men, not once losing momentum. Gatou barely had enough time to scream as his torso was separated from his legs.

The thugs were shocked. Their employer was dead.

"We won't get paid now," one said.

"Then let's just raid the village and help ourselves," someone proposed. Everyone was in agreement for that. They began walking across the bridge, only to stop in their tracks at the sight of every male villager standing in their way.

"Get out of our way or die!"

"Like hell we will! This is our home, and you're not coming near it!" Inari cried, from the front of the mass.

"You brat!" one charged forward, only to be cut down by Haku.

Naruto watched in horror as Haku cut down the men with frightening efficiency. His senbon finding the pressure point to kill with ease. This boy, whose life was ruined by something he could not control, he was releasing everything in this single killing spree. He could see that Haku did not enjoy a minute of it, but he did anyway, finding himself unable to stop. Once the last man fell to the ground did Haku allow himself time to breathe.

Falling to his knees, Haku wept. He wept for the loss of his family, for his mother, and his father. For Zabuza who had raised, taught, and cared for him when no one else would. And for the men he'd slaughtered in cold blood.

"What is the purpose of my life? I am a tool, and what use is a tool without one to wield it?" he cried, ripping at his long hair. He continued on this way until a hand came to rest upon his shoulder.

"Find a new master to pledge your loyalty to. That is what you can do," it was Naruto who spoke. "You do have a purpose, and Zabuza gave it to you. He ordered you to live, and you will do that. To ignore the final wish of a dying man will forever curse you."

"But who could I go to?" Haku asked.

"Come with us, back to Konoha. Become a leaf, under the protection of the Hokage. You will no longer be hunted by your former home," Naruto suggested.

"Naruto has a point Haku. I will vouch for you at the border, and when you plead your case to the Hokage, and the council," Kakashi told him. Naruto helped the older boy to stand.

"Thank you, both of you," Haku wiped his tears away and tried to smile.

"Now, how do we get Sasuke moving again?" Kakashi asked. Naruto looked at him sharply.

"Sasuke's dead, isn't he?" Naruto asked him.

"No, it is a pseudo-death. He will awaken soon, but will be in great pain," Haku said. Just as he said this, a cry from Sakura caught there attention.

"Sasuke-kun! You're alive!" she rushed at the boy and hugged him around the neck tightly.

"S-Sakura, you're n-not helping," he gasped. She pulled away, blushing in embarrassment. She muttered an apology.

"Haruno, instead of making his injuries worse, why don't you help Sasuke with them," Naruto suggested as he approached. Kakashi just behind him, and Haku bringing up the rear, dragging the bloody zanbatou along with him.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked.

"It's over, we won. Gatou's dead, Zabuza's dead. Haku has surrendered and agreed to come to Konoha. Tazuna can complete his bridge," Kakashi said.

Sakura carefully reached for one of the senbon stuck in Sasuke's arm. She gripped it and pulled it out. Sasuke winced. Sakura reached for another, this time Sasuke cried out.

"Watch it Sakura!" he snapped.

"Hold still then, and quit whining!" she snapped back. Her eyes widened and slapped her hand over her mouth. 'Oh my god! I snapped at Sasuke-kun!' Looking at the boy, she saw that he didn't look upset. Rather, he looked pleased.

'Finally, she's turned off the fangirl mode.' Both Naruto and Sasuke thought. Sasuke nodded for her to continue, and she went on with pulling out the many senbon that riddled his body.

Sakura reached into her pouch for bandages and the antiseptic cream, and then hesitated.

"Um, Sasuke-kun, c-could you take y-your shirt off?" she asked nervously. "I need to treat y-your injuries." Sakura explained. Sasuke sighed and pulled his shirt over his head. Trying her best not to stare or faint, Sakura quickly spread the cream over the small puncture wounds and bandaged him up.

"You look like a mummy Sasuke," Naruto commented.

"Shut up you idiot," Sasuke retorted. He refused to admit that he was happy that Naruto was finally addressing him by first name. Kakashi noticed this and thought back to what Iruka had told him.

'So Sasuke has earned his respect. Now it's just me and Sakura.' He thought. 'It shouldn't be that hard if Sasuke managed it.'

XxXxXxX

Naruto just sat in his room, just staring, but not really taking anything in. It wasn't until everything was over that he really let it sink in that he'd killed two men. When he first thought of it, he'd run straight to the bathroom and puked. He could still feel the way Arashiodori sunk into their flesh and making them bleed. The pain on their faces as they fell.

He didn't really know why, but it hurt. It wasn't like he'd done for fun. he'd done to protect two defenseless civilians. He'd done his job, but it hurt him to know that he'd had a hand in taking the lives of two men that were - like him - just doing their job. The door opened and Kakashi stepped inside and sat down next to the boy.

"Tsunami told me what happened," the man began. "What you have to understand Naruto, is that you won't be able to go your entire ninja career without killing someone. It's bound to happen, and the sooner the better."

"At the Academy, a retired ANBU came to our class in our second year. He spoke with each and every one of us individually, and when he got to me, he told me that I'd love killing people. That I would bathe in their blood and love every second of it. That I would kill people just for fun and I'd drink the blood of little children and women. And then he laughed. At the time, I had no idea what he meant. Now I do. I hate it! The way the blood came pouring from their wounds, it makes me sick!"

Kakashi was shocked. He himself had once spoken to a class of ninja hopefuls and told each and every students how horrible it was to kill someone, and here was this former ANBU telling Naruto something entirely different, not doubt scaring him with such words. His hands curled into fists.

"He was wrong Naruto. He didn't see you as a human being. What he did to you was wrong. Tell me, what was his name?" Kakashi asked.

"It was Morikubo Takeshi, that's what his name was," Naruto replied. Kakashi nodded. He intended on speaking to this man about his choice of words to Naruto. "Sensei?"

"What is it Naruto?"

"I thought you hated me?" Naruto asked, looking at him with wide innocent eyes.

"I don't hate you Naruto. I let my own sadness cloud my judgement. My perceptions of you were wrong, and I want to make sure you know that I'm trying to change that," Kakashi said. He stood up and left the room.

"Thank you Sensei," Naruto whispered as the door slid shut.

XxXxXxX

They all bowed their heads before Zabuza's grave. Haku was whispering something no one could hear, and once he was done, he raised his head and opened his eyes. The others were already waiting for him.

Zabuza had been buried on Nami's end of the bridge, right next to it. The rest of the village waited for the five shinobi to finish paying their respects, standing a good distance away. Once the five completed that task, the villagers approached them.

"Thank you all so much. You've saved our country," Tazuna said a smile on his face. "You are all welcome to visit anytime."

"Thank you Tazuna-san," Kakashi said. As Kakashi conversed with the adults, Inari tugged on Naruto's arm.

"Huh? Oh, Inari, did you want something?"

"Um, I'm sorry for making fun of you," Inari said quickly. "You're a real hero Naruto-'nii." Naruto blinked and stared.

"I am?" he asked. Inari nodded.

"Kakashi-san says that a real hero is a person who stands up for what they believe in, no matter what happens. I think that you do that, so that means that you're a hero. Just like Kaiza-'tou-san," Inari said. Naruto smiled.

"Thanks Inari," he ruffled the boy's hair playfully.

"Naruto! We're leaving without you!" Sakura called. Naruto turned to see his team far ahead of him.

"Hey! Wait for me!" he cried, running after them. The villagers chuckled.

"Hey Dad, we never decided on a name for the bridge," Tsunami said.

"Well, how about 'The Super Cool Bridge That Tazuna Built'?" he suggested with a laugh.

"As if," someone muttered.

"How about 'The Great Naruto Bridge'?" Inari spoke up. There was a moment of silence before everyone agreed wholeheartedly.

"That settles it then, the Great Naruto Bridge it is then, after a boy who's destined for greatness." Tazuna said.

"What makes you say that?" Tsunami asked.

"Because that boy is a survivor, and I can feel it," the old man replied.

**I really don't like how this chapter came out! This'll probably be my last update before school starts. As school does have a habit of sucking out my creativity and urge to write, I probably won't update for a while, especially since I'm starting senior year. I look forward to reading your reviews.**


	10. Kazoku

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 10: Kazoku – Family

The party approached the gates of Konoha. It was early in the afternoon, but the summer heat pressed down on them. The two chuunin standing guard lazed about, not really paying attention to what was going on around them. Izumo and Kotetsu sat at the desk, playing a game of tic-tac-toe with their kunai. They jumped when a voice floated by them.

"Ahem," they looked up to see Hatake Kakashi's eye smiling down at them. The both grinned sheepishly. Busted.

"Oh! Kakashi-san! You and your team are checking in?" Izumo asked, recovering quickly.

"What do you think?" Kakashi muttered sarcastically. "And, he'll be needing a pass." He pointed to Haku.

"Right," Kotetsu pulled a thick binder out from under the desk and quickly flipped to a page that was labeled two and a half weeks ago. Finding Kakashi's name, he quickly wrote down the day's date before flipping to one of the front pockets. He signed his name and handed the small bit of paper to Haku.

"Enjoy your stay here in Konoha," Izumo said as the group walked away.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, you guys are now off duty," Kakashi said. The three children nodded. "Relax and enjoy yourselves for a couple of days."

"Okay, see you sensei!" Naruto called, already halfway down the street.

"Bye, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said before running down a different street towards home.

"See you," Sasuke muttered before walking off.

"Come on Haku, I'll introduce you to the Hokage. And don't be so nervous, he's everyone's grandfather," Kakashi said.

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't treat us like weapons; we're his people, the ones he was entrusted to protect. Now that you stand within Konoha's walls, he will extend the same courtesy to you."

"I see," Haku murmured as they continued on down the street.

XxXxXxX

Sarutobi studied the boy kneeling before him. Haku's head was lowered, exposing the back of his neck in complete submission. Sarutobi took a long pull from his pipe and blew the smoke out his nose.

"I would gladly make you a shinobi of Konoha, Momochi Haku," Haku looked up expectantly. "However, it is not my decision alone." Sarutobi didn't miss the slight disappointment in Haku's eyes. "I shall call for a council meeting immediately." Haku nodded.

"Thank you for this opportunity, Hokage-sama," Haku whispered.

"I have one final question before you go, I was not aware that Momochi Zabuza had a son, could you explain please?"

"Zabuza-san took me under his wing when I was child. He raised me, and he might as well be my father. I have taken his name in honor of his death," Haku replied.

"I see," Sarutobi shifted some papers on his desk for a moment. "Kakashi, I will send a message once the council is assembled. Until then, I trust that you can keep an eye on Haku."

"Yes sir," Kakashi responded. Haku rose from his position and followed Kakashi out the door. They left the tower, and Kakashi turned to the boy.

"Go ahead and acquaint yourself with the village, I have some business to take care of at the moment," Kakashi said. Haku nodded, and set off down a random street, already mapping everything out.

XxXxXxX

Over the smells of the stall, Hinata easily picked out a very familiar one that was approaching quickly. She braced herself, and a moment later, she was pulled from the stool she was perched on, and enveloped in a tight embrace.

"I missed you Hinata-chan!" Naruto cried, holding her tightly.

"I missed you too, Naruto-kun," she gasped out. Hinata was beginning to turn red at this point.

"Careful Naruto-kun, I don't think Hinata-chan can breathe," Ayame told him.

"Oh, sorry Hinata-chan," Naruto muttered, letting go of her.

"It's okay Naruto-kun," she told him with a smile. Hinata reached out slowly, her fingertips brushing his cheek. Her other hand came up, and landed on his shoulder. Hinata could feel Naruto lean in to her touch. She felt the additional material and followed it down between his shoulder blades, and then up the sheath of the nodachi. Her fingers caressed the hilt and she tilted her head in confusion. She felt a small amount of chakra leek from the blade, and she pulled her hand away, as if she'd been shocked. "Naruto-kun?"

"What is it Hinata-chan?" he asked.

"This weapon, what is it?" she asked him.

"A nodachi, I got it during my mission," Naruto told her.

"Oh," Hinata let her hands fall to her side. Naruto felt a bit colder now that her arms were no longer wrapped around him.

"Hinata-chan, your order is ready," Ayame said, breaking the silence. Hinata found her stool and hopped back on it. Naruto joined his friend at the counter and ordered a bowl of miso ramen. The two ate in an uncomfortable silence. Though it'd been no more than two weeks since Naruto had been gone, it felt like an eternity that had kept them apart.

"How have you been, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine, but the clan council doesn't want me to spend my free time with you," she told him. Naruto frowned, but said nothing. "And, I have no intention of following their wishes. You are my friend, and they can't stop me."

Hinata grinned, and Naruto couldn't help but smile back. The tension between them melted and Naruto hopped off the stool.

"Let's go visit Iruka-sensei," Naruto suggested. "I missed him a lot too." Hinata nodded and fell into step next to her friend.

"How have things been going here?" Naruto asked her.

"Boring," Hinata answered.

"That bad huh?" Naruto grinned. "Well, now that I'm here, maybe things will liven up a bit."

"Nope. You're not the reason things will be getting exciting around here," Naruto halted when Iruka appeared behind them.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto spun around and hugged the man around the middle.

"I'm glad you're safe Naruto," Iruka said, ruffling his hair. Naruto let go and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.

"What do you mean by that sensei?" Naruto asked.

"The Chuunin Exam is taking place here, other genin like you two will be coming from all over the continent to participate in it," Iruka explained.

"Wow, that's so cool!" Naruto grinned.

"It gets pretty hectic, the only shinobi that aren't helping out in some way are us Academy teachers. We're stuck teaching while everyone else gets to do the fun stuff," Iruka told them. "But maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get a few days off to see it for myself."

"Will we be in it too?" Naruto asked.

"That's up to your teachers to decide, Naruto. I'm sure Kakashi-san will enter your team in it," Iruka said.

"Do you think Kurenai-sensei will let us participate?" Hinata asked.

"It's likely, the three of you are strong, I'm sure you can do it," Iruka said, wrapping an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "So son, how was the mission?" He asked.

Naruto halted. His eyes wide and staring. A lump curled up in his throat, and breathing suddenly became difficult.

"Naruto?" Iruka watched the boy worriedly.

_Son…_

That one single word was the only thing that Naruto seemed to be able to hear. He wanted to say something, anything, but he was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to do? What did a boy say to his father in this kind of situation?

_Son…_

It was so overwhelming, this feeling. What feeling was this? It felt like something was tugging at his heart, compelling him to move forward. It tugged and squeezed, but it wasn't uncomfortable, it felt wonderful. It made him elated, like the urge to hop and click his heels together. Naruto felt a prickling at his eyes and his vision swam with unshed tears.

_Son…_

For so long, he'd wanted someone to call him that. For years, he'd yearned for a father. Like everyone else's who picked him up when he fell, and taught him the family techniques once he was old enough. To smile and tell him how proud he was to call Naruto his son.

_Son…_

Kyuubi remained silent, and retreated, allowing Naruto a moment alone with his thoughts and emotions. He knew that Naruto needed a father figure, and Umino Iruka was the only one that could fill those shoes.

Finally, at long last, the tugging at his heart became too much, and Naruto launched himself at Iruka. The tears that had been threatening to spill now flowed down his cheeks.

"Iruka-'tou-san!"

Naruto hugged the man around the waist, and buried his nose in Iruka's chest. Iruka hugged him back. They stood there for what seemed like forever, not caring who saw. Iruka was his father, and that's all Naruto cared about.

Ayame stood with her father watched the happy scene. Hinata smiled, knowing that her best friend was finally getting the happiness he deserved. Iruka held Naruto out at arms length and looked him over.

"Now, you are going to tell me everything about that mission of yours. I was worried sick about you," he ordered.

"'Kay," Naruto nodded, wiping the tears from his face. Hinata suddenly felt like she was intruding. She silently slipped away, knowing that Naruto and Iruka needed to spend some time together as father and son.

XxXxXxX

Kakashi knocked on the door, hoping someone was home. That retired ANBU Naruto had spoken of lived here in one of the more affluent apartments of the village. Being a retired ANBU certainly had its perks.

He could remember this man, Morikubo Takeshi. For having been part of Konoha's elite, he was fairly unremarkable. He didn't have any especially outstanding skills. The only thing that got him into the ANBU was the fact that he'd simply managed to pass the test.

There were two ways to become an ANBU. The first, and the one that occurred most, was if an extraordinary jounin or chuunin was asked by a veteran - someone who'd been a part of the ANBU for at least four years. Kakashi had been approached a week after the mission that took Obito's life. He had only accepted because it would keep him out of the village, and away from the Uchiha clan. They'd wanted to remove Obito's eye, claiming that he had no right to use it. The only reason he'd avoided it being removed was his Sensei's influence, and convincing them that the Sharingan could never be passed to any of Kakashi's progeny.

The second method to enter the ANBU was a test. This test was far more grueling than the Chuunin and Jounin Exams combined and quadrupled. Very few survived it, let alone passed.

Kakashi sighed. It would seem the man was not in. He turned to leave when the door opened.

"Can I help you?" a rough voice asked. Kakashi turned to look at the man. He leaned heavily on a cane, waiting impatiently for Kakashi to speak.

"Yes, are you Morikubo Takeshi?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, is there something you needed, Hatake-san?"

"I need to speak to you about a student of mine," Kakashi said.

"All right. Come in," Morikubo moved aside and let Kakashi in. Kakashi didn't bother taking in his surroundings as he was led to the living room. He sat down and waited for Morikubo to get comfortable.

"To be honest Hatake-san, I'm not aware as to who your students are, besides the Uchiha boy," Morikubo said.

"This isn't about Sasuke. This is about my other male student, Uzumaki Naruto."

"That demon brat?"

"During our last mission, he was forced to make his first kill. He was absolutely horrified by it. When I spoke to him, he told me of a retired ANBU who had come to the Academy to speak to the students there," Kakashi said. Morikubo was beginning to look nervous.

"To my own shock, he informed me that he was expected to love killing. He told me that he felt as if his hands were stained in their blood, and he desperately wanted it to go away," that of course was a lie - Naruto hadn't said anything along those lines - not that Morikubo knew that. "He gave me your name, because when you spoke to him two years ago, Naruto was not yet aware of his status as the Kyuubi's jailor."

Morikubo shifted, hoping, praying that he wouldn't get in trouble.

"I can take you _right now_to the Hokage for breaking the law. But that isn't nearly enough punishment for frightening an innocent ten year old. Have you any idea what sort of psychological affect that could have had on him? He told me never ever wanted to kill again just so that he would never have to feel blood on his hands."

"Surely you don't believe that demon!" the other man cried. He cowered when Kakashi pressed a kunai to his throat.

"If you call my student a demon again, I will ensure you will never be able to walk again. Naruto has worked hard just so that his own team will acknowledge him. I will not have you or any one else cause him problems. Do you hear me?"

"Yes!"

"Good," Kakashi whispered with a glare. "Now, let's go pay our Hokage-sama a visit, shall we?"

With a flick of his wrist, Morikubo was unconscious. Kakashi picked him up and slung the man over one shoulder and carried him out of the house.

XxXxXxX

Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose. So far, he couldn't get the other elders to agree on what to do with Haku. He didn't mind taking the boy in, one more powerful ninja for them. Never mind he was a criminal in Kirigakure.

"We will allow him to join our shinobi ranks, however, the fact that he is the last of his clan, and is in possession of a kekkei genkai –"

"He will not be forced into marrying at such a young age. Haku is still just a child," Sarutobi interrupted. "Nor will you decide who he will marry. He will have the option of marriage once he is of age, and he may choose who his bride will be. He will not be turned into breeding stock."

"We will do as you request Sarutobi, but only as long he is integrated into the ranks appropriately," Homura told him.

"Haku will be tested for that, based on the report given to me by Kakashi, he may be a high level chuunin," Sarutobi said. "Now, this meeting is adjourned."

The three others left the room, leaving Sarutobi with his thoughts.

"I'm getting far too old for this," he murmured. "I'd better decide on a replacement soon."

XxXxXxX

Naruto had never met a team as strange as Team Gai – his own team being the exception of course. There was Hinata's cousin, Neji, a bit like Sasuke in the general behavior department. He was cool, aloof, but he didn't have the look of a tortured soul like Sasuke did. Then, Tenten, who loved weapons and sharp pointy objects just as much as most of the girls loved thinking about boys. And lastly, there was Rock Lee. Naruto could only think of one work to describe the older boy: spandex.

He'd gone to Hinata's to see if she wanted to help him with his training, only to find the other team congregated at the gate. He'd brushed passed them, only to be grabbed by the back of his shirt by Tenten. The girl had reached for the sword strapped to his back, but he quickly pushed her hands away.

"You don't want to touch that," he warned. Tenten didn't quite understand what he meant.

"Can I at least see the blade?" she asked. Naruto shrugged and reached for the hilt. The ribbons unwound and the long gleaming sword was revealed. She stared at it in complete and utter awe. "Where did you get this?" She asked.

"Um, Wave Country, but it's originally from Mizu no Kuni," said Naruto.

"The craftsmanship is amazing. I imagine the balance on it is pure perfection," Tenten carefully ran a finger down the blade. "It's in perfect condition, not a single nick or scratch on it!"

Naruto was stunned by her review of it.

"But the question is: can you use her the way she was meant to?" Tenten asked, looking up at Naruto.

"Well, I don't really know how to handle a katana in general –"

"BLASPHEMY!"

Naruto jumped at the girl's yell.

"To have a weapon as beautiful as this in your possession, and not know how to use it! Such a thing should be a crime punishable by death!" Tenten declared. Naruto glanced at the two boys, hoping that an outburst from the girl like this was a normal occurrence.

Lee looked like he was about ready to burst into tears, while Neji just looked a little perplexed. Realizing that Lee wasn't exactly the greatest person to trust at the moment, he decided that Tenten's behavior was in fact, very much out of the norm.

"Oh! Tenten, at long last, you have shown your true youth!" Lee cried, rushing the girl wrapping her in a tight embrace.

Tenten protested, but Lee didn't let go, in fact, he squeezed her even harder.

"L-Lee! I can't breath!" Tenten cried, trying to pry his arms loose. Neji tried unsuccessfully to get Lee to let go but it was a lost cause. When the boy finally released Tenten from his grip, she sank to the ground to catch her breath. When Tenten finally regained her bearings, she stood up and fixed Naruto with an intense stare. "I can teach you how to use this beautiful weapon." She said.

"You wouldn't mind?" Naruto asked her.

"I consider myself a master of all weapons; it is my duty to do it."

"Okay then, when do we start?"

Tenten grinned, she couldn't wait. "Tomorrow morning at dawn," she declared. Naruto groaned; he'd never be able to get up that early.

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto swiveled around to see Hinata standing under the gate.

"Are you ready to go Hinata-chan?" he asked her.

"Yes, where would you like to go?" Hinata asked.

"Usual place, need to go check on it," Naruto replied, plucking the backpack from Hinata's shoulders. He slung it over one shoulder and took Hinata's hand. "Let's go!"

"Okay. I will see you later Neji-'nii-chan," Hinata said, facing her cousin.

"Be careful Hinata," Neji said. Hinata nodded and headed off with Naruto.

XxXxXxX

They lay in the grass, basking in the warm sun and cool breeze. The intense training session left both Hinata and Naruto exhausted and hungry.

"I packed some lunch for us in the backpack," Hinata said. She reached over Naruto and pulled the bag over. Opening it up, she pulled out two lunch boxes. "Here you go Naruto-kun."

"Thanks Hinata-chan," Naruto said with a smile. He opened the lid and took the chopsticks from Hinata's hand. Taking a bite he grinned. "This is really good Hinata-chan!"

"Really? Mother helped me with it," Hinata said. She was blushing brightly.

"You made this? Wow!" Naruto sounded thoroughly impressed. Hinata smiled, glad that Naruto was enjoying the food she had made. She'd been nervous, cooking without being able to see the food on the stove, but her mother had helped her with that, she'd done most of it herself.

"Thank you Naruto-kun."

Hinata's blush intensified. How was it that Naruto could make her feel like she was the only person that existed? It was an amazing feeling. They finished eating and Naruto packed everything up.

"Time to head back?" he asked. Hinata nodded, and Naruto pulled her to her feet. He lifted the backpack and they headed back to the village.

XxXxXxX

Himawari kneeled on the floor going through all of her old shinobi gear. She missed the life, the adrenaline and excitement it gave her. Unfortunately, complications during her pregnancy with Hanabi had rendered her unable to use large amounts of chakra. As a member of the Hyuuga clan, being able to use all of her chakra was important, and so she was forced into retirement.

She lifted her old jacket out of a small chest in the closet. It was still in perfect condition. The woman couldn't help but smile, she knew that it would be a perfect fit for Hinata now. Setting it aside, Himawari next pulled out her most prized possessions. Two beautifully crafted blades. They were sheathed in simple leather sheaths. She pushed up the sleeves of her kimono and carefully strapped the sheaths to her forearms.

Himawari rose and with a flick of her wrists and a small burst of chakra the blades were released, slipping into her grip easily. They sliced through the cloth of her sleeves and she slipped into a basic Jyuuken stance. Taking a deep breath, she slashed with her right arm, and then came up with a low strike with the left. She spun, her long hair swirling around her, the blades singing through the air.

She slipped down low and came up in a pirouette. The blades spun in her hands and she stabbed at two invisible opponents behind her. Himawari was so concentrated on her deadly dance that she didn't hear the bedroom door open. Himawari spun on the ball of her foot, kicking out high before coming back down, and crouched down.

As she came back up, the blade came to rest against the flesh of someone's neck. Carefully pulling away, she straightened and opened her eyes to see her husband watching her. Hiashi's arms encircled her waist and he pulled her close.

"It has been a long time since I have seen you move so beautifully," he whispered into her ear. Himawari slid the blades back into the sheaths and hastily removed them from her arms and put them away.

"Has it?" she asked. She pulled him towards the bed. "Perhaps, you would be interested in a different kind of dance."

"I wouldn't be adverse to that," Hiashi said as he pushed her down onto the bed, giving her a once over with his eyes.

XxXxXxX

Naruto sat bleary-eyed as he watched the sun rise. There was no way he'd be able to get up every morning before dawn. It'd be impossible, but very worth it. He sat up straighter when he heard Tenten approaching. She had two staffs slung over a shoulder, and looking far too cheerful for the ungodly hour.

"Mornin'," she called to him. Naruto simply groaned. She huffed a sigh. "Wake up; we've got a lot of ground to cover."

Naruto stood up and stood in front of her, waiting.

"What first?" he asked.

"First, warm-ups," she said, putting both staffs down. Naruto stifled a yawn and began to perform his warm-ups. After a vigorous run that woke him up Tenten tossed him a staff and picked up the other for herself.

"We're not going in to jump into fighting with any kind of sword just yet; you need to adjust to holding such a long weapon first. So, we're going to start with these."

Tenten showed him how to grip the staff properly and checked his stance.

"Your feet should be shoulder length apart," Tenten lectured, tapping his left calf with her own staff. Naruto shifted his leg into the right position. She moved to stand beside him and demonstrated a high strike.

Naruto then copied her and she corrected his movements.

"Today we'll just work on the three basic strikes; we need to cram in enough of this in a week."

Tenten worked Naruto until it was time for each of them to go and meet their teams. So, Naruto headed for Team 7's usual meeting spot, his staff resting on one shoulder as he walked.

Sakura and Sasuke were already waiting for him when he arrived, Sasuke staring off into space, ignoring Sakura. Although she'd lightened up when it came to her flirting attempts, she was still trying to get his attention.

"What's with the staff Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Good morning to you too," he muttered. "And for your information, the staff is a teaching tool, I'm learning how to wield the nodachi, and it's supposed to act as the training wheels."

"Oh," said Sakura. She blinked and reaching into her hip pouch and pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. She then began to read, occasionally pausing to think over something.

"What are you reading?" asked Naruto.

"A scroll on basic medical ninjutsu, I'm taking sensei's advice and putting my chakra control to some good use," she answered.

"Cool, good luck," Naruto said, giving her a thumbs up.

"Thanks."

There was silence as they waited, Kakashi was late. Again. Sakura finished the scroll and had put it away and began to practice channeling chakra into her hands. She watched as they glowed green, the healing color. Sakura paused in her practice; it was starting to drain on her reserves.

'Need to get some stamina training in too,' she thought.

There was an explosion of smoke and Kakashi appeared, his eye smiling at them.

"It's about time!" Naruto groused.

"I have a valid excuse this time –" Kakashi began.

"We don't want to hear it!" all three students roared. Kakashi chuckled at their antics. Even Sasuke had joined in this time.

"So I take it none of you are interested in participating in the Chuunin Exams?" he asked. They were silent for a moment before they started to yell again.

"Why the hell didn't you say that?!" Naruto demanded.

"You're obviously insane to think that!" Sakura roared.

"Idiot, who do you think we are?" Sasuke said.

"All right, all right," Kakashi passed out three forms to them. "Look over these, the exam begins on Monday over at the Academy. It's your choice if you want to participate. If any of you feel you aren't ready yet, don't bother showing up. But since I took the time to nominate all three of you, I suggest you take the opportunity to use it as a learning experience."

"So, we just sign this and show up at the Academy on Monday?" Naruto asked.

"That's right, good luck you three," Kakashi said with a salute. He was about to disappear when Sakura stopped him.

"Wait sensei, could I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Sure. You two are dismissed," Kakashi shooed Sasuke and Naruto off. They nodded and headed back into the village.

"Sakura seems like she's serious about being a medic," Naruto commented. Sasuke nodded.

"It's a noble ambition," Sasuke said.

"Hopefully she isn't too squeamish, considering the amount of crap we get into," Naruto chuckled.

"Naruto-'nii-chan!"

"Konohamaru!"

Naruto waved to the smaller boy. Konohamaru was running towards them when he ran into someone turning the corner. He fell over.

"Konohamaru, are you okay?" Naruto asked, helping the smaller boy up.

"Watch where you're going you stupid brat," a voice said. Naruto looked up to see a strangely dressed boy standing there. He didn't look familiar, but the forehead protector sown onto his hood did.

"You're from Suna?" Naruto asked.

"What of it brat?"

"Nothing, just surprised. Most of the foreign shinobi aren't arriving until Saturday."

The older boy shrugged.

"Come on Konohamaru, let's get out of his way," Naruto lead Konohamaru away from the foreign ninja.

"Are you causing trouble already Kankurou?" a female voice reprimanded him. A girl with dirty blonde hair and teal colored eyes appeared.

"No, sorry Temari," the older boy, Kankurou said.

"You'd better not; we don't want to anger _him_," she said.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Konohamaru had been conversing, Sasuke showing only mild interest in their discussion.

"You're so cool Naruto-'nii-chan!" Konohamaru said, awe lacing his voice. Sasuke easily recognized the tone of worship. He had behaved in much the same way to his own brother years ago. Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his head, unused to such a sincere compliment.

"Where are Moegi and Udon?" Naruto asked.

"They couldn't play today," the smaller boy told him. He looked a little sad that he couldn't be with his friends. Naruto ruffled his hair.

"I'll play with you," he volunteered. Konohamaru's face lit up.

"Really? You don't mind playing with me?"

"No, I never really did when I was your age," Naruto told him. Sasuke chuckled.

"You make yourself sound so old," he commented. "He should be calling you 'old man' instead."

"Shut up Sasuke!" Naruto snapped. "Come one Konohamaru," Naruto turned a corner only to be faced with a pair of jade green eyes. He halted and couldn't help but stare. The boy before him was expressionless, he had dark circles under his eyes as if he never got enough sleep, and a tattoo on his forehead above his left eye. His hair was a dark red that reminded Naruto eerily of blood, and his scent was absolutely saturated with it.

**"Naruto! That's a host!"**Kyuubi said abruptly. Naruto responded by pushing Konohamaru behind him. Naruto cocked his head to the side, wondering. The boy did have a great deal of chakra, perhaps the level of a Kage in their prime. Cautiously, Naruto held up nine fingers, wondering if the other boy would respond or understand the message.

The blank eyes widened fractionally and slowly he held up a single finger. Naruto nodded in understanding. He then extended his hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said.

The other boy stared at his hand and after a moment, Naruto lowered it.

**"Ah, the Ichibi, Shukaku,"**Kyuubi remarked. **"He appears to have a very thin control over Shukaku. The seal must be unstable. Be careful Naruto. You might be the strongest in terms of sheer chakra levels, but Shukaku was always the most bloodthirsty out of us all."**

"Gaara, there you are," the two from Suna approached. Naruto then noticed the Suna forehead protector tied to the strap of his gourd. Temari and Kankurou looked a little nervous around the redhead and Naruto couldn't help but wonder why.

It was clear the three were siblings, their scents although unique each held a similar aspect to it to show that they shared the same blood.

"The Kazekage is expecting us back, we must go," Temari said cautiously. Gaara then fixed his sister with a stare before turning around and walking back. He'd only taken a few steps before he looked at Naruto and his eyes flashed golden. Kyuubi snarled in response.

"Naruto-'nii-chan? Are you alright?" Konohamaru asked him. Naruto looked down at the boy and nodded, plastering a grin on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on."

They headed toward the park near the center of the village, Konohamaru chatting happily the whole way there while Naruto only half-listened.

XxXxXxX

Sakura stood in an empty training ground. It was one of the few that had any kind of body of water in it. This particular one had a modest sized pond. Taking a deep breath she lifted her foot and slowly placed it on the surface of the water. Her foot slipped into the water and she pulled it back out. She tried again, adding just a little more chakra than before and this time, her foot rested on the surface of the water. She brought her other foot onto the water and stood there.

Sakura grinned. After nearly three hours she figured out how to do it. Kakashi had been right. She did have the control to master the water walking skill within a day. Taking a deep breath she decided to try walking now.

"Okay, keep a steady stream of chakra flowing, evenly distributed over the entire sole," she murmured. Sakura took a small step forward, and she didn't slip up. Another step and she was steadily approaching the center of the pond.

"Where'd you learn to do this?"

The voice startled her and Sakura slipped in her concentration. With a yelp she plunged into the water. When she surfaced, she spotted Sasuke standing at the edge of the pond. He had an amused smirk on his face that annoyed her. She quickly made it back to the grass around the pond and plopped down next to her sandals and forehead protector.

"Kakashi-sensei taught me how to do it," she informed him. "If I want to become a good Medic, my chakra control has to be even better, and I have to increase my reserves."

Sakura squeezed the water from her hair and then moved on to her clothes. She removed her top, leaving her in a drenched tank top. She quickly wrung out her top and laid it out in the sun to dry. Sakura ran her fingers through her loose hair to shake more water from it before settling down.

"I can see how well you're doing," Sasuke commented sarcastically.

"I was doing fine until you interrupted me," she snarled in return.

"Prove it then."

With a huff, Sakura stood and with confidence stepped out onto the water and walked briskly over it. She came to a stop in front of Sasuke, hands on her hips.

"Well, does it meet your standards oh Great One?" she asked derisively. Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"I believe it does," he said. "See you around Sakura."

Sasuke walked off, secretly more impressed than he had let on.

XxXxXxX

Himawari patiently adjusted Hinata's stance. So far, Hinata had taken well to the training, her natural grace and flexibility truly showing. The Hyuuga fighting style had been too aggressive, it wasn't a style suited for someone like Hinata.

For her part, Hinata was enjoying herself. She rarely got the chance to spend time with her mother, and the one-on-one training provided a great deal of time for the two to bond.

"Remember Hinata, the correct positioning of your feet is important. Yes, you should feel comfortable, but, if you feel too comfortable then most likely your position is off. If your feet aren't in the correct place, it could cost you your balance."

"Yes mother," Hinata said. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple and dripped off her jaw.

"Now, try again," Himawari told her. Hinata nodded and went from a relaxed stance to the battle stance her mother had been teaching her.

"Perfect," Himawari said immediately. "Take a moment to memorize the feel of your muscles and then we'll take a lunch break."

At the mention of lunch, Hinata's stomach grumbled loudly. Hinata blushed and relaxed. She sat down on the porch beside her mother who handed her some chilled juice and something to eat. They ate in silence for a bit as they enjoyed the feeling of having their stomachs filled after working hard.

"I haven't seen Naruto-kun around recently," Himawari said.

"Tenten-san is teaching him how to use his nodachi," Hinata replied.

"That's generous of her to take time out to teach him when she could be training for the Exams."

"Tenten-san forced him to learn. He didn't even ask," said Hinata. "Mother, do you think I'm ready for the Exams?"

Himawari was startled by the sudden question and took her time before answering.

"Do _you_ think you're ready?" she asked her daughter.

"I don't know. Maybe. I don't feel as confident as I'd like to be. After all, there will be others that are older and stronger taking the Exams as well. I may not be good enough."

"Hinata, there aren't many who pass Konoha's Chuunin Exam the first time," Himawari said. She leaned closer to her daughter. "I'm going to tell you a secret. It took your father two tries before he passed. Not many of the Hyuuga pass until the third try. Only the better ones manage it the second time. And the ones that get it done the first are our best. It won't matter if you can't do it this time, we won't think any less of you."

"Thank you Mother, I feel better now," Hinata said, finishing off her lunch. "Can we get back to work?"

"Of course," Himawari smiled, hearing the determination in her daughter's voice.

'I want to prove that I am strong. The Council might not think so now, but I'll show them.'

**I cannot even begin to apologize for taking so long. I don't even know what happened. I started the chapter, and then the next thing I know, I have writer's block for this story, and my other two fics have been distracting me, and school, don't even get me started on that. All I know is that I haven't updated in a year, and I start my first semester of college next Monday and I'm really afraid that this is going to happen again. So please, if you really want me to continue, review, and give me a truly meaningful review. Not just "UPDATE!" That's not a review, that's an order. I update on my own time, though with this story, my own time doesn't seem to be working. If any of you are afraid of me abandoning this story, I have no intention of doing so. I plan on seeing it through to the very fucking end! God knows how long that'll take.**

**Also, I'm starting a new update schedule to **_**ENSURE**_**that this doesn't occur again. So here's how it's going to work. From now on, I will update my stories in alphabetical order, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll try to update each story at least once every two-four weeks. This means that between the three fics I'm working on now, MKn will be second. After my Harry Potter fic, and before my crossover. I really hope this plan is a success. As I have the next chapters for the other fics partially done, this one may be up by mid-September. Bear with me, and please don't give up on this. But before I continue further, I have to reread this story arc to make sure I'm doing it correctly.**

**Thanks for staying loyal to this story. I know what it's like to wait and wait and wait for a story to be updated, but not have it happen. I'm truly sorry for putting you through this. And sorry for the obnoxiously long author's note.**


	11. Chuunin Shiken Hajime!

Miru Koto nai

Chapter 11: Chuunin Shiken Hajime!

Sakura Hanamoto

Sasuke stared into his bathroom mirror, his eyes fixed on his reflection.

'How did I do it? What did I do to make it work?' he thought. Sasuke focused his chakra around his eyes and grumbled when they only flashed to red for a moment. He lessened the amount of chakra and watched and waited. His chakra ebbed away to a more manageable amount and slowly his eyes turned red. Sasuke smirked.

"Perfect."

XxXxXxX

Hinata pulled on her new jacket. It was made of a thinner material than her old one and the sleeves here long and flowing. They easily brushed passed her knees when her arms were relaxed at her sides.

"I knew it would be a perfect fit," Himawari gushed. "Now turn around and let me get a good look at you."

Hinata turned and faced her mother. Himawari fiddled with the zipper, letting it come to rest level with Hinata's navel.

"There, you're ready," Himawari looked over her oldest daughter fondly. "Remember, your father and I will always love you. Do you best and show them how strong you are."

"I will mother," Hinata said, wrapping her arms around the woman's waist and hugging her tightly.

XxXxXxX

Kiba stretched leisurely and grinned. Akamaru scrambled to retain his place upon Kiba's head, and he growled in annoyance.

"Ready?" he asked, looking at the entrance pointedly. Hinata nodded. After a week of intense training with her mother, she had more confidence in herself than she thought she would ever have. The now familiar feel of her new jacket comforted her and kept her relaxed.

"Let's go," she said. Her voice didn't hold as much timidity as it usually did. Kiba glanced over at Shino and just barely saw the upturn of the corner of his lips. Kiba's grin widened and they stepped towards the front door.

"Kurenai-sensei said to go up to the third floor, right?" Kiba asked. Hinata nodded, silently counting the number of stairs as they walked up them. They approached a large throng of other genin but Hinata ignored it and continued walking. "Hinata, we're here." Kiba told her.

Hinata whirled around.

"No, we're still on the second floor. There are fifteen steps from the ground floor to the second floor. There are a grand total of thirty steps from the ground floor to the third, we're still on the second floor," she murmured to him. To keep him silent, she pulled him along, pushing through the others.

"Huh, I didn't know that," Kiba commented. Akamaru barked from atop his head. "What do you mean you knew? And you didn't tell me?!"

Akamaru barked again.

"I am too observant," Kiba groused. Hinata giggled.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Akamaru, you can be very unobservant, and you have the benefit of having five stronger senses," Hinata told him, hiding another giggle behind her hand.

The team came to the third floor and was greeted by Kurenai standing by the door they were to enter through.

"Hello you three, it's good to see that you're all here," Kurenai said.

"We were supposed to come, were we not sensei?" Shino asked.

"That's right," the woman replied. "Had one of you chosen to stay home today, the other two would have been sent home as well."

"Konoha's Chuunin Exam is centered on teamwork, is it not?" Shino asked.

"You're as sharp as ever Shino. Now, I wish all three of you the best of luck," Kurenai said, giving her students a fond smile. She pulled the door to room 301 open for them and the three stepped through.

They had arrived quite early, but there was already a large amount of people in the room.

"These are all genin? Some of these people are older than my sister!" Kiba declared. Several others turned to glare at the loud boy.

"Kiba-kun, stop attracting attention," Hinata said. She could feel the heavy stares on them. "Compared to most of them, we'd be lucky to make it passed the first test, we're only rookies."

Hinata shifted nervously, she knew that there would be teams from all over the continent present, but the whispers of those from Kumo unsettled her.

"A Hyuuga…"

"She doesn't look like the traditional Hyuuga."

"I heard that she's the heir."

"We barely avoided war over her?"

A hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Everything will be fine Hinata, they would not risk war with Konoha, and your cousin will be participating as well, you are safe," Shino told her softly.

"Thank you Shino-kun," Hinata replied. Her shoulders relaxed and she turned a deaf ear to the whispers.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in."

They turned to see Nara Shikamaru standing there, his team behind him.

"You guys too? That only leaves Naruto's team to show up," Kiba chuckled.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did, considering who's on that team and who the teacher is," Shikamaru said.

"Well of course Sasuke-kun will be here," Ino said haughtily, flicking her long blonde hair back over her shoulder.

"A lot of these teams look like they've been taking the exams for a while," Chouji said around a mouthful of potato chips. Shikamaru nodded, looking around at some of the other participants.

For the next hour, the two teams spent their time catching up, while waiting for the last of Konoha's rookie teams to show up.

Hinata was greeted by her cousin, when his team entered, with Lee looking very pleased with himself. Not ten minutes later, Naruto's team showed up.

"I knew you'd be here Sasuke-kun," Ino said, running her hands over Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke shrugged her off and ignored anymore of her attempts at seducing him. Ino looked over at Sakura, only to find the other girl talking animatedly with Hinata.

"Hinata, I heard from Naruto that you make your own medical salves," Sakura said.

"Yes, that's right. Most of my ingredients come from the Hyuuga gardens," Hinata said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, Kakashi-sensei suggested that I study up on medical ninjutsu. I've already learned the basic healing technique, but I've noticed that the medical salves that I can buy aren't very good. I had to use some on Sasuke during our last big mission and it did very little to help him."

"What was it supposed to do?"

"It was supposed to relieve any pain without the drowsy side effects, and fight infection. The injuries healed fine, but he was still feeling some discomfort. Not that he would have said anything."

Hinata pushed the long sleeves of her jacket aside and dug through her supplies.

"Here, I have another one, so don't worry about me giving it to you. Once all of this is over, I can give you the recipe," Hinata told her. She handed Sakura the small jar of ointment.

"Thanks Hinata," Sakura said with a smile.

Naruto immediately spotted Gaara; he stood silently by a window. Gaara glanced his way, but there was no hint that gave away if Gaara recognized Naruto or not. Naruto's attention was diverted by an older genin headed their way. He wore Konoha's symbol, but something about him didn't feel right. His scent was off somehow. Most of Konoha's citizens usually had a very earthy smell to them. This man did not smell like he even belonged in Konoha.

"You guys need to show some respect, everyone here is on edge, this isn't a playground," the man said.

"And who would you be?" Sasuke asked.

"Yakushi Kabuto," the silver haired genin replied, pushing his glasses up. Naruto narrowed his eyes, the silver haired man's face coming into focus.

**"I told you to get some glasses,"** Kyuubi muttered. **"I can only do so much for your eye sight."**

'You know that no one would help me, even if it was on the Hokage's orders,' Naruto replied.

**"Promise me you'll get it done before it gets any worse. Any more deterioration, you'll never be able to become Hokage."**

"Never stopped Hinata from trying,' Naruto said.

**"Even so, she was born that way, you on the other hand were born with perfect eye sight, and you can at least make the situation better."**

Naruto's attention was brought back to the outside world when Kabuto knelt down on the floor and pulled out a thick deck of cards.

"I've managed to collect a great deal of information over the years, and all of that information has been burned onto these cards with my chakra."

Kabuto pulled a card from the deck and placed it on the floor. He pressed a finger to it, and in a burst of his chakra, it displayed a small map of the continent.

"These are the totals of how many genin teams from each village are participating in this exam. I also have info on individuals. So, anyone in particular you're curious about?"

"Rock Lee, and Gaara from Suna," Sasuke said. Kabuto nodded and pulled out two cards.

"Rock Lee, he's a year older than you guys, his teammates are Hyuuga Neji and Tenten. He's completed a large amount of smaller missions. He wasn't much coming out of the Academy, but he's garnered a lot of attention in the last year due to his taijutsu skill. And now, let's take a look at Sabaku no Gaara. I don't have much on him. This is his first time here for Konoha's exam. He's completed a few missions, including a B-rank mission. The only thing greatly noteworthy is the fact that he's come back from every mission unscathed."

Kabuto looked up at the group of genin.

"Is there anyone else you would like to know about?" he asked.

"What do you have on Uzumaki Naruto?" Kiba asked. Everyone looked at him. "What? He seems different since the last time I saw him."

"Uzumaki Naruto, let's see. He's completed a lot of D and a couple C-rank missions with _two_ B-rank missions. His teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, compared to the other two; he isn't much when it comes to physical and mental strength."

Naruto scoffed at that.

"From what I've heard, he can produce a ridiculous amount of shadow clones with little effort, and he's acquired a new weapon recently. That's all I have."

"You've had two B-rank missions?" Kiba asked in shock. Naruto nodded. "When?"

"One with my team, and another with Hinata-chan," Naruto replied. "Not that it's any of your business Inuzuka."

Kiba looked cowed by the response before he turned to Hinata.

"When did you complete that mission?" he asked.

"I agree with Naruto-kun. It isn't any of your business, so please just drop it," she said. Everyone stared. Shy, sweet Hinata had just told Kiba to shut up in an oddly polite way. Hinata blushed under the feel of their stares.

"Do you know who those genin are in the center of the room? The ones with the musical note on their forehead protector" Sakura asked. She tugged nervously on her braid. Something about them felt horribly wrong. Not to mention the way they seemed to be staring in their direction.

"They're from Otogakure; it's a small village that was just formed in the last year or so. They probably sent their best team to prove that they can stand up with the bigger countries."

Everyone looked up at the three odd shinobi. Sasuke moved to stand between Naruto and Sakura and frowned when the three from Oto followed his movements.

"Sasuke, are they watching you?" Sakura asked. He gave a small nod.

"We need to keep an eye on them. I don't want to know what they want with me. Not to mention, they look dangerous," Sasuke said. Sakura and Naruto nodded.

There was an explosion at the front of the classroom and a long line of Chuunin and Jounin stood before them.

"Look, its Haku," Sakura whispered, noticing the long haired boy among the group.

"Shut up you maggots!"

Everyone's attention turned to the tall man that stood before them. His face was covered in numerous scars and it looked as if he was bald beneath his forehead protector. His gaze was stern as he looked upon all of the genin. He simply oozed intimidation.

"Now, it's time for the first test of the Chuunin Exam to begin. I'll be your proctor for this test, Morino Ibiki. Now, take a seat and we'll begin passing out the tests."

There was much shuffling as the genin took a number from one of the higher-ranked shinobi. Naruto plopped down in his seat towards the center of the room and frowned.

"Hello Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured. He turned to look at her.

"Hey Hinata-chan," he grinned and gave her hand a comforting pat. "Good luck."

"You too Naruto-kun."

"Listen up! Here are the rules for this test!"

Ibiki began writing on the chalk board behind him.

"This is a written test, and you will each have one hour to answer ten questions. For this test, you will start out with ten points each. Each incorrect answer will subtract one point from your test."

"So three wrong gets you seven points," Naruto muttered.

"As this is a team test, should any one person on a team fail, the other two will as well."

Sakura and Sasuke stared in panic. Both looked over at Naruto.

'Shit! Naruto, don't screw up!' Sasuke thought. He turned his attention back to Ibiki, who had started talking again.

"Now, to discourage cheating, all the Chuunin lining the walls of this room will be watching for cheaters. If you are caught once, you will lose two points. But if you are caught four times, you will be failed."

Naruto glanced over at Haku, who was watching the row he was in. Haku gave him a small encouraging smile.

"You will have fifty minutes to answer the first nine questions on your test paper. Once the fifty minutes is up, I will give you the final question. You may begin now!"

Naruto lifted his pencil and began to read over the questions. It took him a moment to realize just how difficult the test was.

'I can't answer a single one of these questions!' he thought in a panic. ''Nii-san, help me!'

**"No can do kiddo. As much as I'd like to help, I can't."**

'Why not?'

**"This is something you have to do. It's your test, not mine."**

'Fine!'

Hinata waited patiently for Shino. Many of the chakra signatures in the room spiked lightly as the genin began to find ways to cheat. Meanwhile beside her, Naruto continued to fidget and panic quietly.

Sasuke's Sharingan easily copied the movements of one of the other testers. His long bangs easily hid the change in his eyes from the view of the chuunin.

'This is way too easy. If only I can get some of these answers to Naruto,' he thought. 'His grades from the Academy were still horrible in the academic department by the time we graduated. There's no way he would know how to do this stuff.'

Sakura finished off the last question and put her pencil down.

'No need for me to have to cheat. There's a reason I had the highest academic grades in the class,' she thought casually. 'And knowing Ino, I'll be her target for her Shintenshin no jutsu.' Sakura put her pencil down and waited. Not a minute later, the hairs on the back of her neck rose. 'And there she goes.' Sakura shifted in her seat and waited.

When nothing happened, she grinned when the ninja in front of her seemed to stiffen and panic for a moment before forming a hand seal.

'Not this time Ino. I'm done hiding in your shadow.'

Ino grit her teeth in annoyance. She knew she didn't have the chakra reserves to perform the technique so many times. 'How did she know I was going to do that? Have I become that predictable? Sorry Shikamaru, Chouji, it'll be a few more minutes.'

Hinata heard the tell-tale buzz of small wings. Carefully activating her Byakugan, she watched the Kikaichuu land on her test paper and began walking in a pattern that would have looked odd to anyone else. Placing pencil to paper, she traced over the chakra trail it left behind.

It's job complete, the small insect flew off and returned to its host.

Naruto tugged at his hair, unable to figure out the answer to _any_ of the questions before him. He paid only marginal attention to those that were failed as they left the classroom. There was no way he could afford to fail. Sakura and Sasuke would never let him live it down.

'How do they expect us to answer these questions? They're practically forcing us to cheat!'

Naruto ran his hand through his hair and groaned softly. He had been gnawing on his lip so hard that he'd broken skin and drew blood. He grimaced at the taste and looked up at the clock.

'Dammit! I've only got ten minutes left!'

Sakura and Sasuke sat calmly, hoping Naruto would pull through. They could easily see the tension in his shoulders, and the near imperceptible shaking.

'Come on Naruto. You can do this.' Sakura thought.

'If you screw this up for us, I'll beat your ass until you're in the hospital.' Sasuke glared a pair of holes into Naruto's head.

'For crying out loud Sasuke, stop trying to set me on fire!' Naruto thought in annoyance.

Ibiki smirked at the front of the room.

'The Uzumaki brat's under a lot of pressure. Wonder what he'll do.'

The scarred man glanced at the clock.

"Time's up! Pencil's down!"

Naruto wanted to scream at that announcement. Ibiki wasn't surprised to see the boy shivering in fear.

"Now for your final question," Ibiki said as he turned to the chalk board behind him. He lifted a piece of chalk and paused. "For this tenth question, there are a few more rules."

"You've got to be kidding me," Sakura grumbled.

"Silence! You're still in a test taking situation, no talking!" Ibiki barked. "Now, for the first rule. If any of you feel like you can't do it, get out now and take your team with you!"

There was a stunned silence and then the sound of chairs scraping against the floor. One by one, genin began to stand and leave, their teammates following after them.

"Should you choose to stay and answer the questions, if you get it wrong, you will automatically fail, along with your teammates. If you get it wrong, you'll lose your chance at ever taking the Chuunin exam ever again!"

Sakura and Sasuke glanced fearfully at Naruto. If the first nine questions were any indication, they were completely screwed.

'Raise your hand Naruto!' Sakura thought desperately. 'Don't destroy your chances now!' But Naruto didn't move. He showed no signs of giving in, despite the fact that he hadn't answered any of the questions on his test paper. Several more genin had thrown in the towel, but still, Naruto didn't do anything.

'Dammit Naruto! This is serious!' Sasuke's teeth were clenched tight. Ibiki watched the team with amusement. The play of emotions across the face of the Uchiha boy and the girl were entertaining.

"This is your final chance. Remember, this one answer will define your career as a shinobi. Choose wisely."

Naruto was trembling with some unknown emotion. Finally, he leapt to his feet.

"Fuck you and your test! I'm not backing out for anything!" he declared loudly.

Sakura slapped her hand to her face.

'That dumbass.'

The moment those words left Naruto's lips, the wavering hearts in the room stood firm. If this green genin could do it, so could they. Ibiki's eyes swept the room. Everyone sat in silence, waiting.

"You've got guts kid. I'm looking forward to hearing good things about you in the future."

Naruto stared at the man in confusion. Knowing he wouldn't get an explanation, he sat back down and massaged the back of his neck.

"Now, for those of you still sitting here," Ibiki paused, "I congratulate you all on passing the first exam."

Chaos ensued.

"What do you mean we pass?! What about that tenth question?!" the blonde girl from Suna demanded. Ibiki chuckled softly.

"There never was a real question. The question was the choice you had to make," he said with a grin.

"Then the other nine questions were useless?" the blonde asked.

"No, the purpose of those questions was to test your skill at gathering information and the ability to securely share it with your teammates. A true shinobi would accept a mission even if the information on it was sparse at best. Those who walked out of this room are not yet worthy of being chuunin. But every single one of you has the potential to become one."

The genin were sitting in stunned silence now. Naruto leaned back into his seat, a grin plastered on his face.

'If I'd known it was going to be this easy, I wouldn't have been so nervous,' he thought.

**"That was the point you idiot,"** Kyuubi told him. Naruto chuckled. Ibiki opened his mouth to continue speaking when a window at the front of the room shattered and a large bundle of cloth shot into the room. Four kunai shot out of the bundle and pinned the four corners up. A woman appeared before them, feet apart and hands on her hips. To up it mildly, she was dressed in clothes that were nearly indecent. Her open jacket looked as if it covered up the majority of her body, though the tiny skirt and fishnet seemed to cancel it out. Her forehead protector was partially obscured by her long bangs, while her hair appeared to be tied back into a spiky ponytail.

"Now is not the time to be celebrating! My name is Mitarashi Anko and I will be your examiner for the second exam!"

Ibiki pushed his way out from behind the banner that the woman had come in with. Her eyes swept around the room and she scowled.

"Seventy-eight? Ibiki, what's wrong with you, you left me twenty six teams!"

"They were a little more persistent than usual," Ibiki replied.

"No matter, I'll have them cut down to half. This is going to be fun! But first, we're changing locations! All of you follow me!"

With that, Anko marched out of the classroom, while the remaining genin trailed behind her. Sakura and Sasuke joined Naruto as they made their way out of the Academy building.

"Naruto, how many questions did you answer?" Sakura asked him.

"Uh, zero." Naruto chirped. His two teammates stared at him.

"You passed without answering a single question? You are one lucky son of a bitch," Sasuke said.

"Yeah, I know," Naruto told him with a grin.

The group of genin made their way through the village towards the various training grounds. Soon, they came upon a long chain link fence that separated a huge forest from the rest of the area. One of the gates was chained up with thick heavy chains and a large padlock as well as a few seals. They stared warily at it, dreading what was to come.

"Welcome to training ground forty-four, The Forest of Death. This is the location for the second part of the chuunin exam," Anko told them, her voice calm and collected. A ripple of fear passed through several of the genin, and Anko's face split into a bloodthirsty grin.

**Yay! It's an update! I know it took a while. School is as usual, time consuming. There are a few points that need to be addressed. First of all, one of my other fics, UNCHAINED, received a review from an anonymous reviewer stating the following: "****Seriously? You expect people to wait that long for a new chapter? Get real. Your story is ok, but nothing amazing. And if school is so hard you don't have a couple hours of free time, you're an idiot."**

**Now, first of all, Fanfiction is not my number one priority, school is. Because it's my parents that are paying for tuition, and I can't get financial aid, I have to take it very seriously. As such, I write when I get the opportunity, but my computer broke, and I can't type on the family computer without someone demanding to know if I'm doing homework or not. If I'm not doing homework, I get kicked off the computer. So this naturally, makes it more difficult to get any writing done. Another thing, you people don't have to wait around for me to update. I don't force you to wait, if you want, you can forget about my story until the next update at which point you can say "Oh, an update! But I don't remember what happened in the last chapter." I myself do this all the time. I know I'm not the greatest writer in the world, that's why I write Fanfiction. This anonymous reviewer seems to think I'm one of those people that shove everything on the back burner for my fics. I don't, it's the last thing on my list of things to do, so it gets done when I get the chance. What little free time I do get is usually spent communicating with my high school friends on facebook. Which brings me to my next point.**

**I have a facebook account, if you wanna friend me, type in this name: Cara Minea Hemsath**

**I'm the only person with this name, so you won't have to figure out which one is me. If you do decide to friend me, state your Fanfiction username and which of my fics you've read, that way I know you're not some creepy stalker. Okay, that's all!**

**Oh wait, one final thing, I have used the word "fuck" four times in this story so I increased the rating to M, just to be safe.**


	12. Chi no Mori no Naka de

Miru Koto nai

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 12: Shi no Mori no Naka de

The genin mingled as they read and signed the release form that Anko had given them all. Several of the less experienced teams were intimidated by the woman, and her words. The release did nothing to alleviate their fears.

"This is some pretty heavy stuff," Sakura said. Naruto and Sasuke agreed. "It seems like this year is the worst year for testing in quite a while."

"Likely because of the rise in tension and hostility between the villages," Sasuke added. "Everyone wants the best of the best to finish."

"Some of the other teams are at a disadvantage, Konoha has always been known to stress teamwork as vital towards cultivating ninja, it's no surprise the villages that put less emphasis on it are a little intimidated," Naruto said. Sakura and Sasuke looked at him. "What? I can't use long words?"

**"Apparently not little brother,"** Kyuubi said with a chuckle.

'Oh shut up 'nii-san,' Naruto snapped back. Naruto signed his name on the release and watched as his teammates did the same.

They then got in line to turn in the forms and receive their scroll.

"Who'll take it?" Sakura asked.

"Statistically, Sasuke's the strongest. They'll make the assumption that he has it, give it to Sakura," Naruto said. "They won't expect the team medic to be carrying it."

Naruto's teammates stared at him as he handed the scroll over to the girl. Sakura quickly stowed it away at the bottom of her hip-pouch and zipped it shut.

They left the tent and made their way to the assigned gate to wait.

"This certainly promises to be fun," Sasuke said.

"Right, fun," Sakura deadpanned as she nervously tugged at a lock of hair that had come loose from its braid. "We should do an equipment check before we get the start signal. That way we know what we have, and if we need to steal some supplies from other teams."

The two boys nodded and took stock of their supplies. Both had an ample amount of kunai and shuriken, while Sakura had a basic first aid kit, along with rations.

"Chances are, we're going to have to hunt for our food in there, but we can at least eat these while moving," she explained.

"What are our positions?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, you're leading us," Sasuke said immediately.

"What?"

"Out of all of us, you're the best one to be able to lead us through the trees undetected. Everyone's heard the stories of how well you evade even most jounin level shinobi. A bunch of other genin shouldn't be a problem."

Naruto grinned, and chuckled.

"All right. Follow my lead and make sure you follow my directions," Naruto said. The other two nodded in response. It wasn't much longer that the signal bell went off and the gate snapped open. The three genin charged through the gateway and into the thick forest.

XxXxXxX

Hinata leapt from branch to branch, following Kiba's chakra signature. Her Byakugan, keeping a watch out for any other teams approaching. Shino was right behind her, a bug or two, trailing after him, alert for any threat from behind.

They moved quickly and efficiently through the trees, doing everything to stay out of sight. Hinata slipped between branches, keeping her sleeves from catching on branches and twigs. Kiba halted in front of her, and Hinata immediately stopped before she could run into him.

"Someone's coming, get into position," he ordered. Hinata immediately jumped down several branches and slipped into the shadows. Shino disappeared into the branches above, and Kiba hid among the thick foliage. Three ninja appeared, and paused.

"We rest here," one announced as he gazed about.

Hinata watched as one of Shino's bugs came to land on one of the opponents shoulder. Hinata sprung from her hiding spot, whirling, her hands flashing out and knocking all three unconscious with a touch to their pressure points. They fell over and Shino and Kiba stepped out.

"That was way too easy," Kiba said, Akamaru yipping in agreement. Shino quickly found the scroll they were looking for and stowed it away.

"Let us leave this place, and make our way to the outpost. There is no need for us to linger," Shino said. Hinata and Kiba nodded and they were off.

XxXxXxX

Naruto leapt from branch to branch, barely disturbing the leave upon them.

"Step where I step. If your foot lands anywhere else, the branch will break, the leaves will fall, and our position will be revealed," he'd explained as they moved. Very few people – shinobi included – very rarely looked up when searching for enemies. Naruto had learned this very early on in his life. Sasuke was surprised by Naruto's knowledge of such things, but then again, one wasn't Konoha's greatest prankster for no reason.

Naruto dropped down to a lower branch and crouched there. He was soon joined by Sakura and Sasuke.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked. Naruto tipped his nose up and took a deep breath. He picked out Sakura's scent easily. For once, it was just her natural scent, having stopped using scented shampoos and soaps. Sasuke's blended slightly with Sakura's, an occurrence he'd never noticed before. There was another scent, similar to Kabuto's, but far more menacing.

"Someone's coming this way. They're below us, but there's no doubt, they're coming up to us," Naruto said. "Scatter." He ordered.

They were separated in a second, disappearing among the foliage. Several tense moments later, a ninja appeared, bearing the symbol for Kusagakure. Naruto watched with narrowed eyes as the ninja bit down on his thumb and form several seals. The ninja crouched and in a huge blast of smoke a gigantic snake appeared and hissed. The blasts had knocked the three young genin around, and Naruto found himself in an entirely different area of the forest.

"Shit," he cursed as he looked around. Naruto leapt off the ground and quickly scaled the tree nearest tree as the large snake that had been summoned slithered by in search of the blond. Naruto sighed as he moved up higher and higher.

The snake climbed the tree, having caught the young ninja's scent. Naruto waited for it to come, Arashiodori drawn and gripped tightly in his hands. The snake came closer and prepared to spring. Naruto waited.

The snake sprung from its place, jaws wide and ready to swallow Naruto. Naruto jumped from the branch he stood on, and with a roar swung Arashiodori around and cut through the snake. It fell to the forest floor, the head sliced in half. A cloud of smoke descended as it disappeared.

Naruto wiped the blood off the blade and slipped it back into the sheath. He sighed and sniffed at the air, hoping to catch Sasuke or Sakura's scents. It didn't take him long to realize he was simply too far away for him to find either of them that way. Especially since there was too much activity in the forest for him to pick them out.

Naruto sighed and climbed back up the tree, ready to seek them out.

**Yes, I know it's been a long time since I updated, and this chapter is so short. But I've run out of time before the spring semester begins. I was kept busy all break with cooking and cleaning. Plus I still have to re-read the Sasuke vs Orochimaru fight to refresh my memory. It's been several years since I first read it. Also, I have a poll up in my profile, go vote please. That's all I've got to say on this. See you in June, maybe.**


	13. Orochimaru Shoukaisuru

Miru Koto Nai

Chapter 13: Orochimaru Shoukaisuru ((Introducing Orochimaru))

Sakura Hanamoto

Naruto moved as quickly as he could, avoiding any ninja he came across with a single-minded determination. The one who had summoned the huge snake was powerful. More powerful than any genin Naruto could name. If Sasuke was stupid enough - which he was - to challenge the guy, he could already be dead.

"Shit, come on Sasuke, don't be an idiot," Naruto hissed. The sounds of battle reached his ears just before he could smell his teammates and the mystery enemy. Naruto raised his sword when the others came into sight. He watched in utter horror as the enemy's neck stretched and elongated in the most disturbing way possible. The man's jaw fell open wide much like a snake and long teeth glinted mockingly at the blond.

Naruto jumped, pouring chakra into his legs. He landed on the man's shoulders and brought the blade down onto the neck.

"No hickeys on the first date!" he quipped when the head stopped just short of Sasuke. Sakura was staring wide-eyed from where she'd collapsed earlier. Naruto twisted Arashiodori and blood gushed from the wound.

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke stammered in shock.

"What are you standing there for? Get the fuck out of here!" Naruto yelled as he pulled the blade from the man's neck. It was swiftly retreating and shortening back to normal length. Naruto leapt away before he could be caught. Sasuke gathered Sakura up and they ran.

XxXxXxX

"Have we lost him?" Sakura asked.

"I doubt it. That guy was no genin," Sasuke said.

"Just keep moving, if he catches us, he might actually manage to kill us," Naruto said. They leapt to the next tree only to be engulfed in a smoke bomb. They jumped clear of it, but Sasuke was immediately pinned to a tree.

"Now then Sasuke-kun, let us finish what we started," the man said.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Sasuke struggled and kicked, but his strikes had no effect.

"Oh, don't be like that Sasuke-kun. You want power, don't you?" the man said quietly. "I can give it to you. And all it will take is one little bite." "That's just disgusting," Naruto muttered as he swung Arashiodori at the man. The man released Sasuke to dodge the long blade. Sasuke immediately put some space between them.

"If I wanted power, I'll work for it!" Sasuke snapped.

"That's the attitude of a weak shinobi Sasuke-kun, you know that," the man said. His grin was wide and off-putting to the three genin.

"If that were the case, then how'd Lee whip Sasuke while only using a bare minimum of chakra required to live?" Naruto mumbled. Sasuke snorted at his teammates words.

"If anything being on this team has taught me, it's that the Sharingan can only take me so far. My clan may have felt they were superior because of it, but it made them lazy and overconfident. I realize this now. But that doesn't mean I won't use it when it becomes necessary."

With that short speech over, Sasuke's eyes flashed with the Sharingan. Naruto only grinned when Sasuke said those words. But frowned when Sasuke charged their enemy head on.

"Wait Sasuke, don't!" Naruto yelled.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura moved to help, but Naruto stopped her.

"No, there's no sense in you getting hurt trying to help him," said Naruto. "If there's one thing we still need to learn, it's when to pick our fights."

Sakura took a step back, worry etching her features. Naruto watched as Sasuke attempted to slow down and immobilize their enemy. His inventive use of wire and katon jutsu proved that his title of genius was earned rather than given. Once the flames burned out Sasuke jumped away.

"Let's get the out of here while we still can!" he called, leaping past his teammates. Sakura and Naruto were quickly to follow. They leapt through the trees, hoping to create some distance between them and the mysterious ninja so determined to have Sasuke. They didn't get far. Naruto and Sakura were tossed to the side, and Sasuke seized by the back of his collar. He struggled feebly, his use of chakra quickly catching up to him. His struggles ceased abruptly as long teeth sank into shoulder. He screamed.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called as she pulled herself up. Sasuke fell onto a wide tree branch limply and unconscious.

"You bastard!" Naruto roared, charging forward, swinging Arashiodori forward. He was halted when a purple and tan blur flew by and tackled the ninja into another tree and they disappeared. Sakura and Naruto knelt by Sasuke, as he tried to push himself to his feet.

"Don't Sasuke, whatever that bastard did, it's screwing with your body," Naruto said.

"I'm fine!" the boy snapped in annoyance.

"Obviously you're not, otherwise you'd be standing up and insulting me!" Naruto replied. Naruto tugged at Sasuke's wide collar and stared in shock at the mark on Sasuke's shoulder. "How did he do that?" He wondered out loud.

"Do what?" Sakura asked.

"He left a seal on Sasuke when he bit him. That creep," Naruto said. Naruto picked Sasuke up and threw one of the boy's arms over his shoulder. "We have to find shelter. We don't know what the seal will do to him. It's best if we're under cover when that happens."

Sakura nodded and took Sasuke's other arm and together they moved down through the trees to find cover on the ground, and hope nothing came along to eat them.

XxXxXxX

The jounin were gathered in a room filled with television screens broadcasting the progress of the genin teams. Kurenai watched as Hinata easily and effortlessly dispatched the enemy team that had targeted them. One of Konoha's rookie teams had arrived second, within less than twelve hours.

They watched in horror as Kakashi's team was targeted by none other than S-class criminal and missing-nin Orochimaru.  
Kakashi had felt a small burst of pride at his teams progress but grew worried about the seal on Sasuke's neck. The team disappeared from view of the camera as Naruto searched for cover for them.

"I can't believe that monster would show his face here in Konoha," Asuma said, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "Not to mention target a fresh genin."

"It's not surprising he picked Sasuke," Kakashi said. "Sasuke has no family that matters, he's the top of his class, and the fact that his entire goal in life is fueled by hatred and vengeance makes him especially appealing to Orochimaru."

"What are you going to do about that seal?" Asuma asked Kakashi.

"At the moment, it doesn't matter if they complete this mission at this point. Sasuke's safety is paramount. If they do make it to the rendezvous point I'll seal is temporarily until a proper seal master can have a look at it."

"You mean Jiraiya," Asuma said.

"Jiraiya? Isn't he the man that writes those disgusting books you're always reading Kakashi?" Kurenai asked. He nodded.

"He was the Yondaime Hokage's teacher, and as of now, the most skilled seal master Konoha has. It would take me years of study to get to his level of knowledge. Pervert he might be, but he is a highly skilled shinobi."

"Well, hopefully your team makes it through this without anymore trouble," Asuma said.

XxXxXxX

"Naruto, get some sleep, I'll keep watch," Sakura offered. They had found shelter within the hollow of a large tree. Sasuke lay inside on a bed of springy branches and fresh leaves. A wet cloth lay across his forehead to cool his fever.

Naruto and Sakura had worked to get the area set up to protect them from intruders with well placed traps.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, you've used up more chakra than I have, even if you have five hundred times the amount I do," Sakura said. "Just get some sleep, I'll keep watch until morning, okay?"

"All right, but if you start drifting off until then, wake me up," Naruto said. He leaned Arashiodori against the wall of the tree and plopped down next to Sasuke.

"He'll be alright, won't he?" Sakura asked.

"I hope so. None of us know what that seal is supposed to do, let alone how to stop it. For now, we can only hope for the best," Naruto told her. Sakura nodded and took a seat at the mouth of the hollow. Naruto laid down and drifted off to sleep.

The night passed slowly, and through a break in the trees, Sakura could just see the light of the moon moving across the sky. It was already beginning to set, but the sun wouldn't make an appearance for a while yet. Sakura sighed, she was worried. Certainly she had improved since graduating from the Academy, but she didn't think she'd improved enough to really be of use to her team. Her knowledge of medical ninjutsu was basic and rudimentary. Not nearly enough to truly help the boys. She sighed. 'I'm only dragging them down,' she thought. 'I'm not nearly strong enough to be of use to either of them.'

Sakura's thoughts continued down that path. She bent her knees up and rested her chin upon them. The night grew darker as the remaining moonlight faded away. The forest was dark enough as it was, and without being able to light a fire without giving away their position, the darkness surrounding her pressed down on her. Sakura let her eyes slide shut in dejection.

The night was silent around her, but that meant little in a forest crawling with enemies and dangerous wildlife. A twig snapped and Sakura's eyes opened. She peered into the darkness hoping to see what it was. She kept silent though, in case of an enemy. There was silence, and then footsteps. Sakura bit her lip and reached back to wake Naruto. She tugged on his shirt until he sat up silently. Sakura said nothing but motioned for him to remain quiet and listen. It wasn't hard for him to pick up on the sound of the footsteps. They were trying to stay silent, but to Naruto's ears, they might as well have been stumbling around. Naruto picked up Arashiodori but did not draw the blade. Even if he did it as quietly as possible, the steel would still scrape against the wood of the sheath. Sakura drew a kunai and waited for the enemy to fall into their traps.

There was silence for a moment before the sound of moving leaves and a heavy thump.

"Zaku you fool," a low voice said, "how could you have failed to avoid that trap?"

"Shut up! It's really dark out here, I can't see shit!"

"Both of you be quiet. There's no need to alert them of our presence. The idiots are probably asleep right now," a third voice whispered, this one was clearly female. Naruto only smirked and glanced over at Sakura. Her grip tightened on her kunai. She nodded to him. The enemy team recovered from their fall in the trap and leapt high into the air to avoid anymore on the ground.

Sakura grinned and cut the wire holding their second trap in place. The huge log swung down to strike them. However, the log was destroyed by a single attack by one of the team. Sakura bit back a curse.

"We know you're here! Bring out the Uchiha so we can kill him!" the voice of the boy who had fallen into the hole called.

"Zaku, will you shut up already?" the girl snapped impatiently.

Sakura squinted through the darkness and was able to make out there shapes vaguely. It was clear that the girl had very long hair and that one of the boys was hunched over, making himself slightly shorter than the girl. Naruto placed his hand on her shoulder to draw her attention. He signalled to her that he would move further back to make it seem like it was only Sakura there to protect Sasuke. He would reveal himself should Sakura need his help. Sakura nodded and barely noticed Naruto slip backwards, farther into the tree hollow.  
Sakura stood up, her kunai gripped tightly, nervously.

"Tch, it's just the useless girl," Zaku muttered. She stepped out of the tree hollow, kunai at the ready.

"You say I'm useless, but I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you," Sakura told him. She drew a handful of shuriken and threw them.

Zaku raised his arms, palms out, and taking less than a second to gather his chakra, he released a shockwave of air from two small holes from his palms. The shuriken were halted and blown back. Sakura dodged them easily and hoped that Naruto and Sasuke weren't hit.

Sakura charged at them, knowing that they far outclassed her, not that it mattered so long as she bought enough time for Naruto. She threw her kunai, aiming for the one girl on the team. The kunai was easily dodged, but the girl stepped into another pit fall. Sakura grinned when she hit the bottom. She ducked under Zaku's reaching arm, only to be caught by the third member of their team.

"Get ready to die little girl," he whispered harshly in her ear. He raised a kunai, ready to drive it into her heart. The weapon came down, but before it could reach her, his arm flew apart at the elbow. Blood sprayed everywhere, covering Sakura in it.  
Dosu screamed in paid. He released Sakura and she quickly retreated. There stood Naruto, holding Arashiodori, the blade covered in bright fresh blood.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare take my team from me!" Naruto roared as he charged.

**Yeah. I'm totally ending it there. I want to get this up sooner or later, so that's why it ends there.**


	14. Author's Note

This would have been posted almost a month ago, but I haven't been able to get to the login page until today.

I apologize now if any of you may have felt any amount of excitement when you received a notification in your e-mail stating that I had updated. This is in fact, not an update.

I'm in quite the quandary over this fic. My interest in it has waned over the months, and I feel like I don't want to finish it. But then there are moments where I sit down and keep on writing. I honeslty don't know what to do. I started taking a creative writing class at school that focuses on novel writing. Obviously, I have started writing an original fiction novel. One, with the help of the class, I will complete. It is partly because of that novel that I don't feel like writing fanfiction anymore. All of my time and effort goes into keeping up with the required pages that need to be turned in. Even during the summer, I don't feel like writing anything. I also have a tendency to get idea after idea for fanfiction, and I rush to write it down. But as it is, every one of those ideas remains incomplete because something else takes over.

While I don't want to abandon this fic, I just don't feel the urge to keep going with it, unfortunately.

Obviously, I haven't made a decision yet. But when I do, you'll know. I'll either put up a final notice, or you'll see a brand new chapter. I really am sorry about this though.


End file.
